Dance of the Amadi
by Rosabell
Summary: Amadi are guardians of existence, and have come to Tomoeda to retrieve their lost child. Forbidden Wraiths have also arrived to destroy the child, and already attacked Sakura. The problem is, Syaoran's trapped in a maze, and Sakura and the gang can't find
1. Default Chapter

Dance of the Amadi

Prologue

" Of all the worlds the child could have been," The female Amade lifted her gloved hand to shield her eyes from the sun, " It has to be in the country where the sun rises and falls."

" It will do little to complain." Her partner, a tall, strong man, dressed as she was with the coarse brown flaps draped around his shoulders and his waist, and leather braids around his head. " Though never safe for long, here the child is the safest, ere we come."

" Perhaps." The female admitted. " The young one has life, and holds to it with strength. That much we should thank for."

" We can thank when the child is home to us." The male answered. " For now,"

The female looked to him, her green eyes nearly glowing with her power.

" _Yideña_," They spoke together, " _With seasons past and winters gone, and blood that spilled drunk by the ground. We plead thee heed our call, the call of thy brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons. Linked by blood we are, and linked by blood we will. Let not the new moon put fear in your eyes. The stars shine all the brighter, without the cold moon."_

Chapter 1

Syaoran woke up in cold sweat. His nightshirt clung to his clammy skin. He shuddered. He felt like he just fell into a black hole and got crushed. Was he getting sick again?

There was a faint music in his ears, a soft beating of a drum, and a song of many angelic voices singing in synchronism. It was almost as if the drums were his heart and the song his mind, except he could hear the separate heartbeats, pounding furiously against his ribcage from whatever nightmare he was having, and the singing in his mind was definitely from an outside source. Or is it?

The clock showed it was three in the morning. Syaoran got out of bed, wiping his wet brow. What _was _that dream anyway? He could not remember. Whatever it was gave him a deep feeling of dread, of loss, and most of all, confusion. He shuddered again. He hated being confused. Hiriingaziwa made him confused and he most certainly did not like it.

Outside there was a new moon. Somehow it made Syaoran start. There was no reason to fear a new moon—he knew what that really was—except he could not help but feel as if there was some kind of déjà vu here.

What was so familiar about the new moon?

Changing into his robes, Syaoran leaped from his apartment window onto the far branch of the tree outside. He saw a faintly glowing figure on the building next to his, and approached it, leaping from branch to branch until he was balanced at the very top, and somersaulted onto the roof.

It was Yue. What Yue was doing there, Syaoran had no idea. The moon guardian looked a little sickly, as if the absence of the moon was draining his energy. For a moment Syaoran paused. He could tell the guardian already knew he was there, but he was reluctant to interrupt without some sign. The moon guardian did not move, and after a long moment, Syaoran decided he would approach him anyway.

" I had a dream about the moon earlier." He was sure that was it. " I don't remember most of it though."

Yue was silent. Syaoran knew he had heard, despite the lack of response.

" Something is coming." The boy went on. " Do you suppose we should be wary?"

Yue shifted over, and still did not answer. His eyes scanned the streets below, through the thin branches of the trees that dotted the sidewalks. Syaoran was getting slightly annoyed, but held back his anger.

" If not," Syaoran elaborated, " There is little to keep me here."

" I would think," Yue's soft voice surprised him, " That the Cards would be enough to keep you here."

" They are in safe hands." Syaoran answered. " It was my purpose here anyway. When Hiriingaziwa came it felt as if he were a threat, but now that he's not…" Syaoran turned around, facing the opposite direction, " I want to stay. But I will not if I do not need to. I was never supposed to stay here for long. Only long enough to secure the Clow Cards. Now that they are secure, it will be only a matter of time before my family calls. Unless, of course, there is a threat. So I ask again. Something is coming, so should we be wary?"

" We must always be wary." The guardian answered, his cold grey eyes turning to meet his. " Yet I do not know what this force is. It arrived shortly before you came, and has not moved since."

" Do you know where it comes from?" Syaoran asked. " And why did not Sakura sense it as well? I certainly did."

" She is young." Yue answered. " And still inexperienced, despite her power."

_I am young too._ Syaoran thought wryly to himself. But he will not say this in front of Yue—after all, lack of years had always been a thorn in the side for him. He certainly will not acknowledge it as the truth now of all times.

" Perhaps it is because this force is not interested in her." Syaoran said hopefully. " Then we can all rest in peace."

Yue did not answer, but Syaoran sensed he agreed. The young boy leaned over the roof. He felt Yue shift suddenly, then stop. Syaoran ignored him.

Still, Syaoran shrugged while almost balancing on his stomach, fate seems to have a knack for busting their hopes. Sakura was powerful, and really the only reason anything should come to Tomoeda. Except perhaps Eriol, who is planning to leave soon. Syaoran frowned. Shouldn't the force be waiting for him in England then? And Syaoran, if this force was waiting for Syaoran, it would probably wait for him in Hong Kong. It must be for Sakura then. Or for something else entirely—one never knows when a new sorcerer or sorceress might pop up. Sakura was certainly unexpected.

" I wish you would not do that." Yue's voice cut sharply in the warm air. " Those with wings I can deal with, however, I hardly believe you have such secrets hidden under your robes."

Was Yue actually unnerved? Syaoran suppressed a grin as he shifted his weight back on his legs so his body tilted back, to the safety of the rooftop. Not even Yue is immune to this, he thought with some childish delight. As a child, very long ago, he had often annoyed his sisters and mother and aunts by balancing this way on the roof or anything dangerously high. He doubted even his father, who died when he was too young to remember, would keep silent at this for long. And his father, rumor had it, was even less sentimental than Yue.

" It strikes me very odd, how the young could have such a passion for mindless danger." Yue commented coldly. Syaoran suppressed an urge to laugh. It wouldn't do for him to laugh at a guardian. In fact, Syaoran did not laugh ever since…well, that is not important.

" I have done that many times." Syaoran answered, a trace of a grin on his lips, which he fought to suppress, " And have become quite adept at keeping myself alive in such a position."

" Should you fall, I will not catch you." Yue sounded bored. Syaoran noted with some amusement that the guardian's shift in position earlier was a near-attempt at holding on to him before he could fall. " Though I am not willing to deal with Sakura's sorrow on the matter either."

" Neither would I." Syaoran turned around so he was facing away from Yue and let the grin come freely to his face, before quickly suppressing it before he started laughing. His mind wandered back to the new moon, and the déjà vu he felt when he first spotted it.

" Was today meant to be the new moon?" Syaoran asked.

Yue did not move, and his voice was solemn. " Iie."

" Then why is it dark?"

" Perhaps it has something to do with the presence in the city."

" Perhaps."

" You should go inside." The guardian remarked. " It is not natural for children to be out at this time of the night."

" I am not natural." Syaoran leaned over again, forgetting the earlier incident. " I happen to be quite unique."

" Ever the modest one." Yue said dryly, and without much humor. It was more of a reproach.

" Truthfully," Syaoran went on, " I happen to be more awake at night." He did not want to elaborate on the reasons. " It is rare for me to get much sleep at all, after dark."

" You do not seem to be troubled by this during the day." Yue noted. He was shifting again, but Syaoran, having forgotten everything, did not mind it. He leaned forward a little more. His feet were not touching the ground, nor were they in the air. It wouldn't do for him to have his feet up in front of Yue, but he did have this playful urge tonight, and had to lean forward a little more.

" Iie." Syaoran was starting to slide. Down. " Perhaps my magic helps keep me awake rather than keep me safe."

" I suggest you come back before you fall." Yue's voice held the slightest trace of urgency to it.

Syaoran stopped sliding and pondered on the idea. He looked like he was falling over, Yue was probably having a silent heart attack, and the chances he _would _fall are actually higher than usual. Still, with his training, Syaoran would not die, but he doubted the guardian knew that, and for courtesy's sake, summoned his energy and moved the weight back to his legs again. He did it a little too quickly, and flopped over, sitting down hard, and his back collided with the roof, knocking some of the air out of him. He gazed calmly at Yue, who did not turn around, but the guardian had shifted his position again.

Syaoran stayed where he was to fight back his laughter. He wondered what Yue's expression would be if he had let himself fall over but remained on the side of the building, as if he had been glued to it through his feet. All that training, all the skills he knew, and Yue never had a chance to see it at the Final Judgment. Syaoran shrugged. They were his skills after all, skills he learned purely for the fun of it. He pondered on trying it.

" Nothing short of magic would have done that." Yue finally commented. " Yet it was not magic you practiced."

" It's called Qi Gong." Syaoran got up, this time letting the smile dance in his eyes and on his lips. " Something the Chinese invented, long long ago. Did not Clow tell you?"

" He mentioned something like it, and it is only fitting that his descendant should know it." Yue sounded disinterested. " Though it would be much more useful to the Card Master."

Syaoran frowned and absorbed the words. Teach Sakura? But Sakura's too old, and this takes a long time to perfect, especially to the point he did. He supposed he could talk to her and somehow catch her interest, but it really wasn't that interesting, now that he thought of it. There was another problem of teaching her at all—he wasn't even sure how _he _learned it. He simply got the basics fairly quickly from his mentor, and practiced it in his spare time simply because he felt like it. Sakura, on the other hand, would not do something like this in her spare time.

" Maybe it was just the practice." He muttered out loud. Then, " I suppose I can stay a while longer and teach her. I'm not sure if I can explain it to her well enough, though. Still, it should be easier to teach _her _than teach some Caucasian. The Japanese are easier to communicate with." Or not. Some of their philosophical sayings are just rigmarole, but then, a lot of Chinese sayings are as well. " Would be interesting to translate the nonsenses to Japanese though." _Oh right,_ Syaoran frowned as he remembered his mentor forcing him to memorize the cursed sayings. _She'll really enjoy that._

He felt Yue's eyes on him and ignored them, because he didn't realize he was balancing on the edge again. He flipped back when he got tired of it, but still felt the guardian's eyes.

" Just out of curiosity," Syaoran went on, " Do you think if Clow had been alive—"

" He cannot be." Yue interrupted. " No one is immortal."

" Hai, I know." Syaoran felt irritated. The guardian is so close-minded. " But if he is, do you think he'd be proud of me?"

The guardian was silent. Syaoran cocked an eyebrow. Was that really so hard to answer?

" Why do you ask?" Yue asked.

" Just wondering." Syaoran shrugged. " Not that I'm jealous or anything; I do not really care at this point, and I want a reason to talk to you so I won't have to go back to my apartment." Syaoran leaned over again. " It's just that he gave the cards to Sakura, but I do not think he ever said anything about me or saw me in his visions. All my life it's Clow this, Clow that. I just wonder if, now that everything's over with, I am really such a failure that I thought I was."

He would have felt more emotional about this. Perhaps it was the new moon, perhaps it was the alien force. Somehow he could not feel as strongly as he knew he should.

" What makes you think you are a failure?" Yue asked.

" Here's the thing you should know about mortals." Syaoran had no idea what was wrong with him. He was beginning to slide. " We always want to feel like we're needed. Kami, the world can do without all of us, really, but it's nice to know, and when we go through scrapes and bruises only to find out we did not have to, and in fact things might have been better off if we didn't, it's really depressing."

Yue finally gave up resisting and pulled Syaoran over by the back of his collar. Syaoran winced, having stubbed his toe, but did not complain, sensing the guardian was already quite irritated with him.

" I probably should not tell you this." The guardian let him go. " But as you asked, I see no reason to keep this from you. Clow saw you. He simply did not know what to make of you. He told me so."

Syaoran dug his toe into the shoe to relieve the pain. He felt oddly unaffected. " Really? That's strange."

" He knew only that you are connected to the future Card Mistress." Yue went on, " And that for someone who is to play such an important role in her life, you were extraordinarily weak magically."

Syaoran was not surprised. He heard this so many times from his family that he had grown practically immune to it a long time ago. It hurts now and then, the faintest of stings. Tonight especially, he didn't feel a thing.

" Well, Daidouji played a huge part in Sakura's life, and she has _no _magic." Syaoran pointed out. The burning in his toe had started to fade. " Was he puzzled by her too?"

" He did not see Daidouji." Yue answered. " I do not know if he would be proud of you. I know I certainly was not impressed when I first met you."

Syaoran broke out laughing. _I'm really wacked out tonight._ He thought as he suppressed the next bubbles of laughter. It was the dream. The stupid moon. The stupid force that was coming for Sakura. That thought succeeded in killing what mirthful feelings he had, and replaced them with very depressed ones. _What, do I have bipolar disorder?_ He thought to himself with annoyance. The idea hardly lifted his spirits though.

" You should get some rest." Yue had been staring at him. " It might account for your personality, the lack of sleep."

" Iie." Syaoran shook his head, suddenly mirthful again. _I really do have bipolar disorder._ He thought, with some trepidation. _I really hate hospitals. And what would Mama say?_ " It is actually the dreams that account for my personality."

" What dreams?" Yue asked, cautious now.

" Oh, just dreams." Syaoran shrugged. His eyes were actually starting to feel sandy and dry. " Some remote village." That's burning. " Some people," Getting chopped to pieces by " a bunch of armored soldiers." Some raped too. " Sometimes you see a temple, and priests," getting tortured.

" And that accounts for your personality." Yue sounded unimpressed. Syaoran was not too worried.

" It gets odd at times." Syaoran elaborated. " Sometimes you see pieces" of people and animals " of things lying around for no reason" except to frighten Syaoran, but Yue should not know that. " We're entitled to our idiosyncrasies." And fears.

" You are hiding something." Yue's eyes grew colder and harder than ever. " If these secrets mean the demise of my master—"

" I doubt it." Syaoran shrugged. " I've had them ever since" _I saw my father die, which is odd because I don't remember seeing that _" I was a little boy in Hong Kong. Most of what I remember has something to do with this man" _That might be my dad if I remembered what he looks like _" Playing with his daughters" _and me, though I think I was too young for him to chase around like that _" In a meadow," _and getting slaughtered when my sisters weren't there. This isn't bipolar disorder. It's the stupid moon._

Yue had a light frown on his fair face. " If you believe it to be so." He said finally. He suddenly grabbed Syaoran by the collar—Syaoran was sliding again, and pulled him back. " You are trying my patience."

" Iie. I just have not done that in a long time." Syaoran shrugged. " Kind of miss doing that."

It has got to be the stupid moon. Though why _this _moon out of all the other moons Syaoran could have gone wacko on, he had no idea. The presence in Tomoeda? But that's after Sakura, although Syaoran was familiar with the idea of getting rid of all defenses before attacking the goal. He just wondered why Yue was not affected. Although Yue might be—the guardian had put up with his antics for a surprisingly long time.

_Well, I'm not of any use like this,_ Syaoran shrugged, and promptly hopped over the edge of the roof. He heard a swoosh as Yue's wings straightened out in alarm, and laughed inwardly as he landed lightly on a tree branch. Keeping his weight centered at his chest so the branch would not break, he hopped lightly along the trees until he came to his own window. He stared at it for a while, looking up at Yue. The guardian's wings were gone. Perhaps he had imagined it. Shrugging again, he jumped through the window, landing halfway on the bed.

_I probably should have said goodbye to him first._ Syaoran thought wryly. Oh well.

He changed back into his pajamas. He did not even look at the clock. That night, he heard again the piercing wails and screams in the air, and smelled the sizzling flesh…

oO

Sakura woke up late the next morning, which was fine as it was the weekend. Her neck hurt, probably because of the way she slept, and she groaned at the headache it was causing. She didn't even respond to Touya's half-hearted muttering about her stomping around like a kaijuu. Touya wasn't himself these days, never would be, she heard. Still, she felt like someone had knocked her off the billion-mile-high skyscrapers they say existed in New York.

" Do you want some aspirin?" Fujitaka asked, running his fingers through her hair in concern.

" Un." Sakura let her forehead drop to the dinner table with a loud thud. She heard her father move to the cupboard to fetch some aspirin pills. She wondered if Clow Reed ever had one of these annoying headaches. Would be nice if he somehow created a No-Headache card that she could use.

Skipping breakfast so she could lie down a little longer, Sakura went upstairs to her room. Kero fluttered about in a restlessness she ignored, except for when it became too annoying.

" Kero-chan, can you stop doing that?" She moaned. " The racket is really hurting my head."

" I just feel uneasy, like something's coming." Kero fluttered down. " I don't get it myself."

" Ow." Sakura rolled away from the window. " Kero-chan, can you close the shutters?"

" What's wrong with you anyway?"

" Neck cramp to headache." Sakura answered. " There anything magical that can help with this?"

" That's a tough one." Kero laughed. " Clow's been trying to figure out the permanent cure for headaches and colds for a long time. He never did figure it out."

" Lovely." Sakura muttered dryly. " Though I shouldn't complain."

" You should be on your guard though." The guardian warned. " I don't know what this is, but I'll bet you it can't be good."

" Are you sure it's really after me?" Sakura could care less at this point.

" No, but it's highly likely. You're the most powerful sorceress in this town, Sakura. And the force is _in this town._"

" Maybe it's friendly." Sakura yawned.

Sensing the girl was in no mood to talk about this, Kero settled for fluttering about the roof again.

" I'll have to speak to Yue."

" Go ahead." Sakura rolled back to the window and squinted. " Why do I keep doing that?" She muttered as she rolled away from the sun again. " Kero-chan! The shutters aren't helping!"

" Alright, alright. Geez." Kero readjusted the shutters. " I should really speak to Yue, but now is probably not the right time."

" It is _so _not the right time," Sakura groaned and kicked at the bed with her heel. " Why can't danger attack me when I don't have a headache, hm?"

Kero had to laugh. Sakura giggled and flopped down on the other side of the bed. " How many minutes has it been, Kero-chan?"

" About five."

Sakura groaned. " It takes eight minutes for it to work. Kami-sama."

Just then, a surge of power blew past them. Sakura sat up abruptly, headache forgotten, and Kero flew to her shoulder in amazement.

" What was that?" Sakura asked, now scared. It was the most powerful thing she ever felt.

" Maybe I should visit Yue." Kero blinked.

" I have to talk to Eriol-kun, before he leaves." Sakura looked at Kero.

The girl got dressed and went downstairs.

" Headache better?" Fujitaka called.

" Much! Going over to Eriol-kun's, be right back!" Sakura called back, and putting on her rollerblades, as they were faster, she skated out of their front gate and onto the street. Kero remained at her shoulder, even as she nearly fell because of a crack in the ground. Sakura slid to a halt in front of Eriol's house and rang the doorbell.

Eriol himself answered the door. " So you felt it too." He observed, without a preamble.

" What was it?" Sakura asked as she stepped inside, then bent down to remove her skates. " Is it dangerous?"

" If you get on their bad side, hai." Eriol answered, shutting the door behind Sakura. He led her into the living room so she could sit down. " Clow did not foresee this and I do not know the meaning of this. I only know who they are, not what they want."

" Okay?" Kero blinked. " So what is it?"

Eriol frowned. " There are many worlds out there, Sakura-san. This is only one of them. How they came to be there is not important. What is important is that many realms do not follow the same laws we do. In this world, for example, everything strives to be stable and disorganized. When you shake pepper and salt together, there is absolutely no chance that you could shake it to the point where all the salt is on one side and the pepper is in the other. In some worlds, things strive to be neat. It's impossible for things to naturally mix, like sand, for example. And then there are worlds that strive to be chaotic. Here, we value peace and harmony, with some wars erupting in between because of our nature to be disorganized—but to survive, we must have peace at some period. In some worlds, war is what maintains existence."

" What does all this have to do with anything?" Kero asked.

" There is a race called the Amadi. They are extremely powerful and hold the secrets and knowledge of the dimensions. They are immortal, and extremely skilled at fighting and healing—it is said that they are the ones that taught the worlds that needed it, such as ours, how to fight and how to use herbs and medicine to heal. Perhaps as a price for their knowledge and wisdom, or because they wanted to do it, the Amadi took the task of patrolling the worlds and making sure they exist and keep their existence. They are neither good nor evil, for in some worlds it is necessary to promote war and darkness, but they do what is necessary to keep the realm alive. They have their own sanctuary which no one has entered, and it was said that the sanctuary holds the secrets to all of the other worlds. Outside, however, the Amadi are introverted, and if not completely out of society, they mingle with it to the point where they are undetectable. Their magic is based on music, for it is their language and art, and their fighting was said to be as graceful as any dance. Their true strength, however, is their bond of sisterhood and brotherhood—should any individual Amade be attacked, he or she could summon the powers of all of the other Amadi through a call, and fighting any Amade would mean fighting the entire Amadi group."

" Is that the force we felt earlier?" Sakura asked. " The Amadi?"

" I recognize it." Eriol answered. " It is so old it cannot be from this universe. What they are doing here, and why they reveal themselves, I do not know. Nor do I know if it bodes well for us. Their intentions could very well be to destroy you, if your presence threatens the existence of the universe."

" Hoee!" Sakura shot back to her chair. " How would my presence threaten this universe?"

" You do not understand." Eriol leaned back wearily. " The Cosmos is a funny thing. They do not mean you will take over the world—more that your very existence, or in this case, perhaps your acquisition of the cards, threatens the balance our realm is based on. You need not fear, however." Eriol sat up. " I doubt anything dire should happen, after all, they never attacked Clow."

Sakura was still rather disturbed, and when she arrived home she called Syaoran. The phone rang and rang, but no one answered. Giving up on that, she dialed Tomoyo's number.

" Well, if they're as powerful as he says," Tomoyo sounded worried, " Maybe you should ask Li-kun to watch your back for now. Unless they're trying to help you…"

" Eriol-kun isn't even sure if it is them." Sakura shrugged. " He just thinks it might be, because it feels really powerful. And he says it's very odd for them to reveal themselves like this."

" That might be even worse." Tomoyo pointed out. " With the so called Amadi, at least you know they aren't out to get you because they're evil. With this unknown being, who knows. Maybe it's some kind of monster or something."

Deciding that talking to her friends wouldn't do her much good at this point, Sakura looked at her table and decided to do some homework.

Downstairs, the bell rang, and Touya walked over to answer the door. Yukito smiled at him.

" Konnichiwa!" He said brightly.

" Yuki-san." Touya stepped out of the way. " You look happy."

" I don't know, just the weather, I guess. Is Sakura around?"

" She's upstairs."

" Okay. I need to ask her a favor." Yukito rubbed his glasses. " You look like you've seen better days."

" I don't think I can feel worse, if that's what you mean." Touya moved a stool out of the way as they walked into the kitchen. " Can't quite put my finger on it. It's like something is about to happen."

Touya had lost his magic, but his human intuition was probably enough for him to feel uneasy. Yukito kept his face neutral as he leaned against the counter.

" It might not necessarily be a bad, thing,"

" I don't know." Touya shrugged. " It's like something's here to get someone. Hopefully the gaki."

Yukito cocked an eyebrow. " You're _still _holding that grudge against the kid?"

" I'm not holding any grudge!"

Yukito laughed.

Upstairs, while staring at the Sakura Book, Sakura suddenly had an epiphany. She rushed down the stairs, Kero riding on her shoulder, and as she was about to enter the basement, she jerked to a stop, stared at Yukito, (who stared back) smiled at him, (who smiled back) and went down.

" Er, what's going on?" Yukito blinked.

" Beats me." Touya shrugged.


	2. Chapter 2

Dance of the Amadi

Chapter 2

Sakura was right—Fujitaka delivered well, and with no surprise, as he did deliver the Clow Book in the first place. What was disappointing, however, was the lack of information she did find in the few books Fujitaka found about the ancient race of the Amadi. Most of them told her nothing more than Eriol did, and some even less. There was one that explained that Amadi, while immortal, are not invincible—but they might as well be because no one really knows how to destroy them, and truthfully, no one should want to if they know what is good for themselves.

Then there was the even more useless group of books written in different languages. Some were written in Chinese, and the only reason she knew they were about the Amadi was because of the shared characters in their name. She could not understand the Chinese versions and in all, her efforts were fruitless.

_I should probably go upstairs._ Sakura thought wryly to herself, as she came back up. Touya threw her a puzzled glance, which she ignored, and ran up to her room. Yue was already there, glaring at Kero, who had stolen a cookie behind Touya's back.

" Eriol-kun thinks they're the Amadi." Sakura said without a preamble.

" The Amadi?" Yue's eyes flickered with surprise. " It is highly unlikely, especially given their tendency to be inconspicuous."

" He also thinks they might be after Sakura, who _is_ the most powerful person in town." Kero said between munches. " In which case—we're screwed!"

" Well put." Yue answered without much humor, not that he really had any. " If that really is the case, you should probably use your magic less frequently, as should we." He looked from Sakura to Kero. " In the meantime, I have to talk to someone."

He transformed back to Yukito, who shook his head to clear it. The boy groaned.

" I hate when that happens." He muttered as he left the room. " Is everything alright?"

" Hai." Sakura called behind his back. She thought about dialing Syaoran's number to warn him about the new development, but the unfinished homework drove it from her mind.

oO

Syaoran's printer decided that it was overworked and underpaid, and in response, went on strike. Syaoran was negotiating with it, trying to free the paper it decided to hold hostage, when the phone rang. Still holding on to the paper, Syaoran grabbed the phone.

" Moshi moshi?" He muttered tiredly. He did not sleep well, and the printer is giving him a hard time. He hoped it was not Sakura, because he felt like snapping at whoever was on the phone.

" Xiao Lang," His mother's calm voice reached his ear, " I trust you are well."

" Mama," Syaoran greeted, tugging at the paper with his other hand. He paused for a moment. " I'm fine. Is everything alright?" He flipped the printer open and grimaced at the ink that splattered on his hand.

" We sensed a powerful presence in Tomoeda." His mother said. " Now that the Clow Cards are safe, I think it's time you return home. It's no longer safe for you there."

The printer clicked and there was a jarring noise as the machine suddenly decided to try printing again. The paper crinkled and got stuck again. Syaoran sighed.

" It was never safe for me here, Mama," He groaned, and tried pulling the paper out from the other end, " And why should I run away?"

" Xiao Lang, this presence is even more powerful than Clow Reed. It's better if you come home."

" What about the Card Mistress?" Syaoran pulled the cartridge out. The paper, now ruined, pulled free. He peered in to see some more sheets stuck in there and mentally groaned again.

" The Card Mistress is no longer your concern." The voice answered. " Tomoeda is her home. She has nowhere to go. You still have a home. We are worried about you."

" I can take care of myself." _Except I can't take care of my own homework._ Syaoran thought wryly as he pulled the remaining pieces out. A white line where a sharp edge grazed against it appeared on the paper. _There goes any chance of reusing it._ He tossed it aside. " Sakura needs my help."

" Maybe." His mother sounded truly worried. " But I can't rest easy until you're here."

The cartridge snapped back in, but Syaoran could swear he heard a crack along with it. He debated in his mind whether to take it out again and check, simultaneously promising himself never to fix a printer with only one hand.

" Mama, I seriously doubt _I _am in any sort of danger." Syaoran gave up debating and shut the printer. " It's much easier to attack me than it is to attack Sakura, and if the presence wants to kill me it would have done so already. At the same time, how do you know it's not here to help us?"

" It would be here to help Sakura, not you." Yelan pointed out. " We miss you, my child."

The printer roared to life, but in two seconds the yellow light started flashing again.

" A few more weeks wouldn't hurt." Syaoran finally said to his mother. He opened up the printer again. " What are the odds that I could annoy Yue again?" He muttered to himself.

" You were annoying Yue?" Yelan sounded bewildered.

" I was doing that thing with balancing on my stomach."

" When?"

" Last night. On the roof."

There was a silence, and Syaoran yanked the cartridge out. There was no crack, it was just put wrong. He put it back in again.

" I thought you got tired of doing that." Yelan finally sighed. " And you did it in front of Yue. Are you alright?"

" I'm fine." Syaoran thrusted the cartridge inside and opened the paper tray. " It was Yue who nearly had a heart attack, especially when I jumped off."

" How high was the building?"

" Twelve stories. I landed on a tree though. Still, I heard Yue release his wings. He must have been really unnerved."

" Xiao Lang, Yue is the Moon Guardian of the Clow Cards, now Sakura Cards. You should treat him with respect."

" I wasn't acting disrespectfully!" Syaoran held the phone between his shoulder and ear as he released his hand and flattened out the sheets, then grabbed hold of the phone again. " I was just out of it. It was the new moon, I had a bizarre dream—"

" What dream?" Yelan's voice sounded more strained now.

" Don't know. Something about the moon. And stars. I don't even know what it was. I just woke up sweating. It was kind of hot though. So I went out. Then I had these bizarre mood-changes—one moment I was really happy, almost gleeful. I think I started laughing at Yue, but I'm not sure. And the next moment I got really depressed. I don't have bipolar disorder, do I Mama?"

" Dreams?" Yelan was still pondering over the dreams. " Are you certain you do not want to come home Xiao Lang? We were already reluctant to let you live on your own with those nightmares of yours."

" I can take care of myself." The printer roared to life again, but the words were completely blurred. " The nightmares aren't so bad anymore. Japanese atmosphere, I guess."

" If you say so," Yelan still sounded dubious, " If you want, I can send one of your older sisters to take care of you, in case you need anything."

Syaoran knew Yelan was only being what a mother should be, and could not find it in his heart to be annoyed with her.

" I'm fine, I'm telling you." He reprinted the homework and glared at the printer. " I sleep great in Japan." _Except when I have nightmares_. " Don't annoy my sisters for my sake. Things will be taken care of. Ugh, the pages got caught again."

" And what is this about the new moon?"

" I don't know. Just a whim, I guess. I have to go. There is something _really _wrong with my printer."

" Alright, be careful Xiao lang, and return to us soon."

" I will Mama. Bye."

" Goodbye."

The printer ran out of ink. Frustrated, Syaoran grabbed his coat and his keys, and proceeded to estimate in his head how much the ink would cost, before grabbing his wallet and heading out.

oO

Finished with her homework, Sakura decided to skate to the park. There were many children there as it was the weekend. She skated at a strolling pace, feeling quite pleased with herself for finishing all of her six-hour homework in two hours, plus the homework she did yesterday. Sunday would be free then! She kicked her legs out stopping.

A wave of power drifted to her, so that she almost felt nauseated. It reeked of evil and darkness, and though Sakura did not fully understand it, she did not enjoy it at all. Moving back, she looked in the direction where it came from. There was nothing there.

Her hand flew to her key, as she slowly rolled forward, her heart starting to beat loudly in her ears. She looked around. No one was watching. She summoned her staff. Suddenly, all was dark, and all was quiet. It seemed the colors of the world had suddenly vanished, leaving only black and white. Alarmed, she turned around.

" Who's there?" She demanded. There were no birds. She could not see any children. Where were they?

_Yideña,_ a soft voice whispered, _Come to us, Yideña,_

_Bring Yideña home,_

_Come home Yideña,_

_Come back to us, Yideña,_

The voices became incoherent, but Sakura could make out the name _Yideña_ repeated over and over again.

" My name is Sakura!" She cried. " What do you want?"

But the voices continued to murmur the mysterious _Yideña_, and a soft song seemed to _glow_ from the murmurs, and the soft beating of the drum. There was a chorus, low and high voices, singing as if mourning. Something struck Sakura's chest, and firey pain exploded from her heart. She screamed, clutching at her staff. A blur stroke at the light, and it abruptly stopped.

Disoriented, Sakura looked up. Eriol was holding his staff, breathing heavily. The noise of the real world had returned.

" What was that?" Sakura asked, trying to regain her breath. Then, " Was that the—"

" Iie." Eriol shook his head, and went on in a grave voice, " That was the Forbidden Wraiths."

oO

Having bought the ink, Syaoran walked home, planning to finally print his accursed homework and be done with it. The park, which he was supposed to pass, did not appear as soon as it should, and Syaoran could swear he had passed the specific buildings before.

" Is this Sakura's doing?" He wondered out loud. Sakura was not the type to play such tricks on him. Unless someone stole the cards. But that couldn't be. He frowned. The forces?

Stopping, he turned around. He stretched out his senses. Nothing. Truly perplexed now, he took one step forward. Everyone else seemed to be moving along. He didn't seem to be moving at all.

_Detour?_ He pondered on the idea. Why not? Going on like this would not get him anywhere. He turned left, heading toward the gardens. He could try to go back home on the other side of the gardens. Or he could try to fight whatever it was, but Syaoran did not think that would be wise, especially not in the daylight. The best thing to do is to try to swerve around it, for now. Keep the combat for later.

As soon as he passed the garden gates, however, it seemed it was the Maze Card all over again, because he was suddenly encased in maze. This maze was different from Sakura's—it was older, more beautiful, and definitely more complex. In fact, from where he stood, Syaoran was not even sure if there was a solution to the maze.

_Great day to have forgotten my sword at home._ Syaoran thought to himself. _Guess someone is trying to prevent me from getting there. Though they could have waited until I passed the park. Much more comfortable there._

oO

" Not much is known about them," Eriol brushed the pages over, " Except they were deadly enemies of the Amadi. The Amadi are more powerful, but their young tend to be more vulnerable, especially the very young. Amadi do not have many children because of their immortality, and only bear young when one of them is killed. Records do not tell of how the Amadi could be destroyed because it is very unwise to do so, but I'm sure you know that it is possible."

" Hai." Sakura nodded.

" Forbidden Wraiths are the ghosts of daring sorcerers who dared to defy the Amadi." Eriol went on. " They felt they should have the immortality of the race instead, and to do so, they try to kill as many Amadi as they can and drink their blood, because they think that the blood of an Amadi can make one immortal. They were badly fooled, because to kill an Amade is unwise, but to drink the blood of one is lethal. Amadi blood is cursed, and so the Forbidden Wraiths were cursed. They are immortal, yes, but restless, and nothing could ever put them at peace. Unfortunately, this did not help the Amadi much, and while they did what they could to protect their young, the Forbidden Wraiths were still able to get some of them and destroy them. While Amadi might be more powerful, Forbidden Wraiths are still dangerous, and it is lucky for you that I caught them by surprise. Even so, I am quite perplexed why they decided to retreat so quickly." Eriol fell silent, troubled by now.

" What did they want with me though? Aren't they enemies of the Amadi?"

" They are enemies of the Amadi, and the Amadi are friends of everyone else. If you are familiar with the concept of ' The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend', then you would also understand the concept of ' The Friend of My Enemy is My Enemy'." Eriol flipped the page over. " Although, what was it that you heard when you were in the plane?"

" What plane?" Sakura asked.

" Just, what did you hear?" Eriol asked.

" Something like…Yideña. They kept calling me Yideña, to come home with them."

" They were probably luring you. As for this Yideña," Eriol looked at her with some surprise, " Yideña is an Amadi name, Sakura-san."

There was a pause.

" They think I'm an Amade?"

" You probably are." Eriol shut the book. " You are certainly powerful, though I don't know if you are powerful enough. You might very well be."

Sakura gaped. " But…but…"

" It fits, after all." Eriol rubbed his chin thoughtfully. " Why would they attack you and no one else? It must be because you're an Amade child. The force we felt was the force of the wraiths, not of the Amadi, because they would be much more subtle; I do not doubt, however, that the Amadi are indeed here, looking for you, and perhaps watching out for you."

Sakura blinked. " But how would I be an Amade? I could get why I'm the Card Mistress—Otou-san being half of Clow Reed and all, but where would the Amadi come from?"

" I do not know." Eriol answered. " I think I will definitely have to delay my return to England. The presence of the Amadi was controversial, but the wraiths, and you being an Amade child, this is definitely not a good thing."

oO

" Anyone want a frictionless surface?" Syaoran muttered sarcastically. " Well, physicists, here you go! Now, if you want it horizontal, you'll have to cut it down yourself."

He had tried running up the walls, something he did not really do with the Maze Card because he knew it would not work. Here he also knew it would not work, but it was for a different reason. With the Maze Card, he would be able to go up, but the wall would simply grow with him. With this maze, the walls wouldn't even hold the soles of his feet, nevermind what qi he decided to put there.

_Next thing we need is a massless rope._ Syaoran looked around. What was the point of putting him in a maze anyway? He started walking. He was getting tired of holding the printer ink. Couldn't the maze have popped up _before _he got to the store?

_Just my luck, I guess._ Syaoran shook his head. He turned. Just where was he going anyway? Well, it would hardly make a difference whether he stood still or not. Might as well _try _to get out of here. He wondered who pulled this prank. Surely this must be a prank—why bother with a worthless descendant of Clow? Well, he paused, _I _am _the descendant of Clow, I suppose._

The thought did not ease him much, and to distract himself, he continued walking.

_New moon, bipolar disorder, Mama calling, maze deciding to trap me. Wonder what I should do if I get hungry._ The idea made him stop again. Hungry! He was hungry! Now what?

_I could bear with a little hunger._ That was not what was bothering him though. What was troubling him was that he might be stuck here for three hours, three days, three weeks, three months, three years. Which means he might die before he gets unstuck from this place.

He started feeling really nervous and sick, and to get rid of the excess energy, he started running. Might as well speed up progress, if there is any. The path bent right and left, and he followed it. Pretty soon he was exhausted.

The sky was beginning to darken. Grey clouds hung in the sky. Three more steps, and it started to drizzle. Syaoran frowned at the sky. So he was stuck in the maze, starving, and starting to get drenched. This was not his idea of spending away his Saturday, or the rest of his life.

To his luck—lucky as he could be anyway, Syaoran spotted a structure almost like a tunnel a few feet ahead. He walked toward it. It did not shrink away. Satisfied that it was meant for him, Syaoran ran towards it and ducked inside, just in time for the drizzle to turn into a downpour. Before he could ponder on the strange weather, the opening of the tunnel shut abruptly, leaving him in total blackness.

Syaoran had to honestly admit to himself that he was starting to become really frightened.

oO

" He's not answering." Sakura hung up. " I called already this morning. He's not usually out for this long. What's going on?"

" This certainly is not like him," Tomoyo agreed. " Do you suppose he has gone to check out the wraiths?"

" I hope not." Eriol answered. " And I thought recently he has taken to consulting with you first."

" What if he's not answering because he couldn't?" Sakura tilted her head. " I'm calling Yukito-san to see if he saw Syaoran on his way home."

" I doubt he would though." Tomoyo frowned. " They're not even on the same path from your house."

" What if though?" Sakura pointed out. " I just hope Syaoran-kun's alright."

She dialed. The phone rang. Yukito's cheerful voice answered.

" Moshi moshi?"

" Yukito-san! It's me, Sakura."

" Oh, Sakura-chan! How is everything?"

" It's okay. I just wanted to know if you saw Syaoran-kun on your way home?"

" Iie, gomen nasai. I think his apartment isn't even in line with mine. Why? Is something wrong?"

" Well, he's currently missing. I've been trying to call his house and he hasn't answered."

" Maybe you should go check again. Perhaps he came home by now."

" I think I'd go over this time."

" Do you want me to come over? Yue's getting a little worried too. Especially with the force in the park."

" They were Forbidden Wraiths." Sakura answered. " I kind of ran into them."

There was a long pause.

" Are you alright?" Yukito's voice sounded extremely concerned now.

" Hai, Eriol-kun saved me. I just hope Syaoran-kun doesn't run into them."

There was another pause. " I hope so too. Listen, I'll meet you at Li-san's building. We'll go check together. How does that sound?"

" Great! Meet you there!" Sakura smiled and hung up. As soon as she did though, a frown replaced the smile.

" What did you expect?" Kero pointed out. Spinel curled his tail in agreement.

" Well, Yukito-san's going to meet me at Syaoran-kun's building. I'm going there to see if he's alright."

" We're coming with you." Eriol grabbed his coat. " If my little descendant really does meet the wraiths, it's going to take at least all of us."

Grateful, Sakura nodded, and they headed to Syaoran's building.

oO

" There is foulplay afoot." Eriol glanced up at the sky. He silently murmured a shield charm to ward off the rain.

" Where did the rain come from?" Sakura asked. " It's almost like the rain you summoned when you first came here."

" But this time I have nothing to do with it." Eriol looked up again. " And the magic involved is very much like..." He looked very thoughtful. " Come along, let's try this."

They knew that if Syaoran could not answer the phone, he probably could not answer the door either, but they felt it was rude to just bust in. Sakura put her key into the lock of the main lobby when the buzzing failed, and they rode the elevator to Syaoran's floor. They rang the doorbell, and again no one answered. Sakura unlocked the door, and they all looked in.

Everything seemed to be in order. The printer was the only thing that was broken, and its ink was gone. As for everything else, the bed was made, the dishes washed, the sword was on its place on the counter…

" My descendant forgot his sword." Eriol was very troubled by this. " If he is facing the wraiths he would not stand a chance."

" Could he stand a chance with the sword though?" Yue pointed out, taking the lace from Eriol. " He has special abilities for one so young, but magically he is very weak."

" He was definitely not checking out the force if he left his sword. And look, his robes are still in the closet." Sakura pointed.

The green robes were. It had some leaves from when Syaoran was jumping over the trees earlier that morning. Everyone succumbed to a depressed silence.

" Well, maybe we should go out and look for him." Nakuru looked around. " It's not safe for him to be out there alone. Even if he wasn't looking for the magical source."

" We should split. Some of us should remain here in case Syaoran returns. The rest should search Tomoeda." Eriol looked grim. " I suggest Tomoyo and Spinel to remain here."

" Nani?" Spinel cried, " Why me?"

" Because I need someone to protect Tomoyo in case she is attacked here." Eriol answered. " And I will need Nakuru to come with me."

" Alright." Tomoyo was a little unhappy with being left behind, but she understood that as she had no magic, she would not be of much use anyway.

" The printer is out of ink," Eriol pointed out, " So Li-san probably went to the store to buy some. That should be the first place you look. Nakuru, you come with me to the park. Hopefully we can find some clues there."

" I can try to sense him through his lace." Yue held up the lace. " Though I do not feel any aura right now."

" Let's go." Sakura was already very impatient. " The sooner we find Syaoran-kun, the better."

oO

" Who are you? Where are you? What is the meaning of this?" Syaoran called out, trying hard to keep his voice steady. He held his arms out as if blind, trying to feel for any wall to guide him, and to make sure that down was actually down. " Why are you locking me in here?"

No answer. Syaoran was not really expecting any. In fact, if there had been an answer, the boy might have freaked out.

" What do you want with me?"

Still no answer. Syaoran's voice echoed into the darkness, giving him the sense that he was in a very wide and open area. Except he could not see anything.

_I'm as good as blind._ Syaoran let himself collapse to the side. _And whoever is playing me is not giving up on the game. I'm hungry, I want to go home, and I wish I took Mama's suggestion._

He suddenly stopped, and reached down. The ground was soft. He could feel the individual fibers. _I'm on a carpet._ He thought. He lifted himself and felt around. Sure enough, it was a fluffy carpet. He frowned. There were no carpets in the tunnel! But the maze probably mutated. He had seen that before, of course. Feeling quite lost again, he sat up and looked around. Nothing. He could see absolutely nothing at all. Why was there a carpet? Was it because he decided to let himself fall?

Intrigued now, and some of his initial fear forgotten, he called out, " Do you…er, at least have any food?"

There was no response. Syaoran shrugged. _Worth a try, at least. _At least he could figure out if he would really starve to death in this place. Looks like he will. Suddenly, his nose caught a scent, and he sniffed. Was that tofu?

It _was _tofu! And chicken and beef and pork and lettuce! There was a soft light there, illuminating a table, and a cushioned chair. There was rice and a glass of milk.

Syaoran debated whether he really wanted to risk poisoning himself on food that appeared out of nowhere. Deciding that he was going to die anyway, the boy lifted himself out of the carpet and walked over to the table. The food was as delicious as they smelled, and Syaoran dug in.

_Well, creepy as this place is,_ Syaoran thought wryly, _it sure is hospitable here. At least they don't let you starve to death._

oO

Syaoran did buy ink, but where he went next, the manager and clerks did not know. The most they could do was point in the direction that Syaoran might have headed when he left, which did not help Sakura much because that direction happened to lead eventually to Syaoran's apartment.

What they did find out was that Syaoran happened to have entered the shop around the time Sakura first started calling him. That gave them several hours before the attack of the wraiths, during which time Syaoran might have encountered them. This did not bode well, and made Sakura more worried about him than ever.

As they headed toward the park, Yukito suddenly stooped down on the sidewalk, as if to examine a crack.

" What is it?" Sakura asked.

Yukito held up a hair. It was brown, short, and could have been Syaoran's.

" He passed here, but," He looked at the sidewalk, " The hair was folded over. Stepping on it wouldn't make it do that." He cautiously stepped over the crack. Nothing happened, as far as Sakura could tell, but the guardian inside Yukito seemed to be on to something.

" Some kind of spell was cast here." Yukito finally said. " What makes a hair bend backwards? It looks suspiciously like some kind of loop spell."

" Do you think Syaoran-kun was trapped?" Sakura asked, heading over. " In a spell of some kind?"

Yukito did not answer. Instead, he looked toward the garden. Sakura followed his gaze.

There was nothing there, however. There was no sign of magic, no sign of spells, and Syaoran was still missing.


	3. Chapter 3

Dance of the Amadi

Chapter 3

The rain was devastating. Eriol wiped furiously at his glasses and wondered once again why he failed to take advantage of contacts now that they have been invented. Despite the umbrella, the heavy rain still reached his eyes and his coat and pants were completely wet through. He sighed, worry beginning to gnaw again at his heart.

_What has my descendant gotten into?_ He wondered. Could Syaoran have come by the elementary school? But he was never there, or at least, did not appear to be.

First few locations fruitless, Eriol decided to call Tomoyo to check on their progress.

" He hasn't returned." Tomoyo answered. " Sakura-chan called earlier. She hasn't found anything either, except he exited the store some time between ten and ten thirty, and apparently there was some kind of loop spell near the gardens right before the park. She's checking out the gardens right now."

His descendant? Eriol tried to picture in his mind Li Syaoran, bag of printer ink in hand, strolling in the garden admiring the flowers. The image was far too disturbing and he shook his head to clear it. It was something Sakura might do, and Syaoran might do it with her, but alone it was just ludicrous.

" Why would he go there?"

" I don't know." Tomoyo answered, her voice surprisingly devoid of emotion. Eriol could tell she did not know what to think. " I guess it was one of the possible routes Li-kun could have taken."

" Maybe we should examine the park." Nakuru suggested. " Look at the spot where the wraiths attacked her. Do you suppose they're still there?"

" I would rather not go. If you feel there is something there," Eriol held the phone by the mouthpiece, " You should go alone. If they are still there, they would probably recognize me. With you, there is more of a chance that they would leave you well alone."

" Alright. I'll be careful then, and you should wait outside the park."

" Stay sharp." Eriol turned to the phone. " Tell Sakura we are checking out the park. Tell her not to go there."

" Alright." Tomoyo hung up.

Eriol waited outside the park. Fifteen minutes later, Nakuru appeared.

" There was a long scratch mark, made by Sakura's shoe," Nakuru looked over her shoulder, " And as for the wraiths, they weren't there. No sign of Li though, not even a struggle. I found some of Sakura's hairs, not Li's," She shook her head. " I doubt he passed by the park."

" Me too." Eriol nodded. " If Sakura is right and there was a loop spell, it should keep him from crossing the park." He suddenly frowned. " Odd, is it not? That a spell would be cast, right there. The only question is when it was cast. If it is cast at the right time, this becomes an entirely new problem altogether."

" Let's go find out then," Nakuru offered. Eriol nodded.

oO

The gardens were fairly normal, so normal that there was not a hint of magic there. This in itself was rather odd, because given the antics of the Mirror Card a year before, there should be some magical residue left. However, Sakura could not sense any magic there at all.

" Some kind of shield charm?" Sakura asked Yukito, who was looking around.

" Most likely." The teenager, or rather the guardian within, agreed. " If it was some illusion we would have sensed it. Probably there was some illusion cast with a shield charm."

" Do you think Syaoran-kun is here?" Sakura asked hopefully.

" If he is, our chances of finding him are rather small." Yukito lifted the lace. " Ah, here is something suspicious. Yue says the lace has been cloaked as well. But you and I are not cloaked."

" I can still sense you." Sakura agreed, " And I can sense Kero too." Several people walked by them. They stopped talking until the group was out of hearing range. " So this spell must be designed especially for Syaoran-kun, then."

" If they're looking for you," Kero frowned, " Why would they be hiding Li?"

" Do you think this is the work of the Wraiths?" Sakura asked.

" Not so loud!" Yukito scolded. " Truthfully, I can't tell. Yue says they are powerful enough that they can hide their magic from us. Maybe Syaoran will get in their way, so they took him away first. Although," Yukito glanced at the lace again. The red threads were still vibrant and glossy, and the wood and metal were still polished and gleaming, " Yue thinks the lace is connected to Li, so if anything happens to him, we would know. Do you see anything wrong with this?"

" Looks the same as it always did." Sakura studied it.

" More colorful, though." Kero agreed.

" Odd. I doubt he's in any sort of trouble, _right now_," Yukito emphasized.

" From the looks of it, he's safer than ever." Kero fluttered over. " For now."

" We'll keep looking." Sakura looked around, though her heart sank. It was wet and cold. Evening is fast approaching, and the longer they waited, the smaller their chances of finding him grew.

oO

" How on earth did they conclude there was a loop spell?" Eriol looked around. " I sense absolutely nothing here. I know I passed half of my powers to Kinomoto Fujitaka, but I should still be able to sense the residues of a loop spell."

" I expect at this point, given the rain, all of the residues would be washed away." Nakuru looked up at the sky.

" The rain." Eriol frowned. " Does it not strike you odd, how fast the rain came?"

" There are plenty of strange rains. There are rainstorms where the sun is still shining from a corner. Those are the best for an artist. Your point?"

" It is almost as if the rain came specifically to wash the residue away so Li cannot be found."

" I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here."

" A loop spell, right before Li, if he exits the store, would pass to the block with the park and perhaps go through it. Assuming this was cast before Sakura was attacked, he would probably be running through this block for some time. Now, given that Li does not have his sword and therefore has fewer means of breaking this spell," Eriol walked back and forth excitedly, " He has two places he could go. The first is where Sakura and Yukito are: the gardens. If he is not at the gardens, he would be at…no specific place. Now the rain came after Sakura was attacked by the wraiths. Something does not add up here. The time…if he exited the store at around ten, that gives him two hours before Sakura's attack. Why would there be a loop spell two hours before the attack?"

" I still think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. How do you know there was a loop spell?"

" Well, obviously Sakura-san and Yukito-san are certain about it." Eriol answered absentmindedly. " They must have found some clue that we missed, and by this time I think it would be unnecessary to find it. Time is in question here," He went back to musing, " And also, why bother? Could it be there is more to Li Syaoran than I first suspected?"

Li Syaoran had always appeared rather weak, even though his mother was pretty strong. Eriol headed toward the gardens. Hopefully he would be able to help Sakura and Syaoran.

oO

Syaoran had finished eating and turned around to look at the surrounding blackness. There was not much to look at, but there was not much else to do either. The light, though it was pretty bright, did not travel past a certain barrier, even when he moved it. He got up, but was very reluctant to leave the safety of the warm light.

There was a scratching sound some distance off. Syaoran started, and wondered if he should be as afraid as he was. But then the thing responsible for the noise appeared.

_It was a ferret!_ Syaoran looked up at the sky—except there was no sky, only never-ending blackness. _What next, a cow?_

But the ferret was good company, and it seemed to be here especially for him. Syaoran got up and realized the chair and table vanished immediately.

_I'm stuck in some Alice in Wonderland movie._ He sighed. _At least I don't shrink and grow every two minutes, or hop around with dodos._

Instead, he gets to hop around with a ferret, which led him away from the light and into the darkness. He did not ponder on how he could actually see in the darkness because he figured since this place was odd anyway, he would not get anywhere. The darkness stretched, and the ferret paused every so often so Syaoran could catch up. Finally, Syaoran could make out a light far away, which grew until it turned into some kind of room.

He was in some kind of library, with millions of books and big sofas and tables. The ferret scampered over to his leg and started pawing at him. Guessing what was going on, Syaoran bent down and picked the creature up. It crawled onto his shoulder and head. It was pretty uncomfortable, but Syaoran did his best to ignore it.

He first sat down on one of the comfortable sofas and pondered on what he should do. It seemed very Alice In Wonderland-like, and though he had been quite amused at the idea when he heard of it, it was not so amusing to be trapped in the same position.

The good news is, he could deduce the intentions of whatever was trapping him were not extremely detrimental to his well-being. Somehow, it all sums up to the park. If he was going to get home, he'll have to pass by that park. And the loop spell was placed right before he could do so. Once he veered away from the park, this happened, to ensure that he would never pass by the park.

What was going on in the park then? Syaoran did not sense any magic. Something must have been in the park. What if Sakura went there? Is she okay?

The ferret nuzzled his cheek, as if saying, 'Don't worry so much about it.' Syaoran silently agreed. Sakura could take care of herself. And she had Kero and Yue. Syaoran briefly entertained the idea of becoming Card Master and having Kero and Yue be _his _guardians. _Not a pretty picture._ He shuddered, as he imagined the little one's craving for food and the tall one's lack of human character. Though Yukito could probably match Kero's appetite as well. Not what he needed.

Mood brightened, Syaoran considered what he should do. It was obvious that whatever was keeping him here intends to keep him here for quite a while. He had been sheltered from the rain, fed, and led into a library which, to his surprise, was filled with Chinese books.

With nothing else to do, Syaoran pulled out the first book he could find.

" 'Guardian Deities'." He read. He flipped it open. On the page were Chinese manuscripts, written by hand. He suddenly realized this book must be hundreds, if not thousands of years old. He handled it more carefully then.

" ' _The first I saw of them I was a little boy.'_" Syaoran read. " _' They were dressed in coarse brown clothing, with daggers, darts, and a sword or more at their waists. There were three of them, two men and one woman, all with short hair and leather braids around their heads. They were attired exactly alike, with a leather choker around their necks, leather arm guards and black gloves. I had wandered a little outside my village and had encountered what I later learned to be a demon. The three appeared and drove it off, with a series of sword moves and haunting song. I remember watching, awed, as their magic pulsed and the demon fled. When it was safe, they turned around, and I shyly smiled at them. The men were expressionless, but the woman smiled back, and murmured another melody, so that all the world seemed to be good and well. I did not understand what she said, but I knew I was safe, and they faded from where they stood.'"_

" Wudi, Fifth year. Ai!" Syaoran nearly dropped the book. " From the beginning of the Han Dynasty? Who's the author?" But there was no author, and the ferret, which he was yelling to, gave him no answers.

Syaoran turned back and kept reading.

" ' _The Guardian Deities, who also call themselves…_A Ma Di? _Are immortal deities who come from a completely separate plane from our plane. Not much was known about them, and even with my lifelong research, I cannot tell much about them. All that can be said, is that the deities are a race that scatter across as many dimensions as their population, and maintain the existence of the Great Idea. They are neither good nor evil, neither Light nor Dark, but they work for both and are far from neutral. Depending on which world they enter, they will promote the side that is best suited to maintain the realm. Should anything threaten the existence of the realm, they will destroy it with ease and without hesitation, and should anything trespass boundaries to where it should not go, they will drive it off._

" '_The Guardian Deities often study the world before acting in it. They would travel alone and mingle among the habitants of the realm, and would usually remain for an indefinite amount of time. Their ways are strange, and not much is revealed, but their magic is rumored to be inter-related. Their language seems to be melody and song alone, and their magic is almost always accompanied by phantom drums or music. Some sorcerers say that this was their way of mingling or sending their magic to whichever member requires it. To fight one deity would mean to fight the entire race._

" ' _Though they are powerful, Guardian Deities can be killed. One story was that a member, named Riche, fought against the Forbidden King in a dimension based on chaos. How he met his downfall, the deities would not reveal, but the Forbidden King's realm quickly deteriorated after the Guardians abandoned it. They seem to be able to pass through any world save the realm of death, for when death claims a being before they could save it, the deities never resurrected the dead. They have weaknesses, but what they are I cannot tell, nor do I suggest seeking to identify them. The deities have different values and have the knowledge of the Idea, and to offend them will only result in self-destruction.'"_

_Morbid._ Syaoran thought. _Though why I decided to read all that, I can't say either._ He put the book down on the table and searched for some other books.

" Torio? Endiga? What's all this? History of…Vampires? Occult of A De Yao?"

Syaoran sat down. _Other worlds. _He thought. He opened the vampire book and started to read. The ferret curled up on his chest and went to sleep.

oO

Sakura and Kero found absolutely nothing during their stroll in the gardens. No magic, no hairs, though Sakura did bother looking for them, and most of all, no Syaoran.

" This is nuts." Kero sighed. " We'll never find the gaki at this rate. Maybe we should go home and use the cards. I can teach you how."

" Hai." Sakura nodded reluctantly. She blinked. " Kero-chan, was that there before?"

It was a large hole in the ground, hidden by many bushes, but Sakura was able to spot it.

" Some kind of Alice in Wonderland theme." Sakura muttered. " Jumping into a rabbit hole."

" It's no rabbit hole." Kero peered down from her shoulder. " I don't think you should go in."

" What if Syaoran-kun's in there?"

" What if he's not?"

The two struggled with this development.

" It might be a trap." Kero said. " And I don't like the looks of this. Why don't you use the Look Card? It might help you find out what's in there."

Sakura agreed, taking the card out and looking around to see if anyone was there.

" Ano…Kero-chan?"

" Hai?"

" Where's Yukito-san?"

oO

Yue lost Sakura.

How he lost Sakura, he was still trying to figure out. The disappearance had been so sudden he was not quite sure what to make of it. He stood alone, the rain keeping most people from the garden, and tried to scan for his young mistress. He could not see her, nor could he see his fellow guardian.

He began retracing his steps, hoping that perhaps she was merely inspecting something and he only left her behind. There was no sign of Sakura, and he could not sense her aura either. Some people gave him strange looks, and Yue knew his attire did not mingle in Japan, but he was too nervous about his own situation to care what suspicions may arise.

As he looked up, something bumped into his arm. He looked down to see a young woman, with short brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a grey sweatshirt and sweatpants. She was carrying an umbrella and had a bookbag slung over her shoulder.

" Gomen nasai." She said. " You look lost."

" I am not lost." Yue answered stiffly. He narrowed his eyes. It was not a common thing to say around here.

" Or rather, you lost something?" The woman raised her eyebrows.

_Whoever she is,_ Yue thought to himself, _She is not making an effort to conceal her idiosyncrasies. _He could not sense any magic though.

" Someone?" The woman turned around. " So the child has loyal friends. Your mistress is safe. She is under the watchful eye of my brother."

" And who might you be?" Yue asked, although he already had an idea.

" I might be many things." The woman answered. " Sorceress, witch, elf, dwarf, angel, demon, necromancer, so many. Yet I suppose, in this world, you can only be one thing."

It was raining harder now.

" What is causing this storm?" Yue asked, after he realized the woman was not leaving.

She lifted her umbrella so that it covered Yue as well. It seemed to expand and grow, though Yue sensed no magic being used.

" I am." She said simply. " Wraiths dislike rain."

" Why are you seeking her?" Yue did not elaborate who _she _was.

There was a strange glint in the woman's eyes as she hesitated, as if debating whether or not to go along with the conversation.

" _Yideña_ is the child of two great Amadi." She answered. " They were slaughtered in another dimension. The child was supposed to be born in the sanctuary, but your former master interfered, or rather, the product of his destiny interfered. We are simply here to retrieve our child."

" Is Sakura the child?" Yue asked, getting skeptical.

The Amade did not answer. Yue had a feeling that she did not want to say because they were being watched. He looked around, but again, did not sense anything.

" We need your help." The Amade whispered, so softly that Yue could barely hear her.

Then there was a wind, and both of them disappeared.

oO

" We lost Yue." Sakura folded her arms. " Now what?" _Now I _really _wish Syaoran-kun were here. He would know what to do. _

" When did you realize he was missing?" Eriol asked.

" Just now." Sakura kicked at the stone. " We looked up and he wasn't there anymore. I can't even sense him."

Eriol looked at Nakuru, who looked back.

" I would say that Yue can take care of himself," The boy pushed his glasses up his nose, " But against the wraiths, I will say simply that he stands no chance."

" He's screwed." Kero muttered. " We're screwed. The gaki's screwed. Oh happy day."

" Kero-chan!" Sakura scolded. " And shouldn't I be able to sense my guardians?"

" Hai." Eriol nodded. " Except with the wraiths, they are more powerful than you know." He sat down. " The object here is to keep you safe. You probably should not even be out here. We have to come up with some other plan, before all of us gets caught."

There was an awkward silence. Eriol grabbed Sakura's hand and led her down the steps from the garden.

" Tomoyo-san?" Eriol called. " We are heading back now."

" Have you found Li-san?" Tomoyo asked. Her voice sounded faint. Eriol pressed the volume button on his cell phone. It did not work.

" Iie. No sign of him, and we lost Yue." Eriol was walking impossibly fast. " We plan to head back and derive some new plan before we lose someone else. Is everything alright there?"

" Fairly quiet." Tomoyo answered. " Although Li-san's mother called."

" Did you tell her he was missing?"  
" Of course I did. She had the right to know."

Eriol could not help but feel a little apprehensive about this.

" What did she say?"

" Well, at first she did not say anything, but she then started muttering some Chinese, so I do not know. She said thank you, and then hung up."

" The wrath of the Li clan." Eriol sighed. " As if the wraiths were not enough. Hurry, Sakura-san. Time is short."

oO

He was in a maze, constructed by some Amade.

It was right there in the book, explaining the various spells and crafts the Amadi taught the race of Drogans. Syaoran thought it sounded very sci-fi, the names, the weird beings, and the idea that there are deities that taught mortals martial arts and sorcerers magic just sounded to surreal.

But the best part (or the worst) was that he was trapped in a maze. Created by the Amadi. It was already established that he was not going to be harmed any time soon. The question is why _did _they make a maze to trap him?

And, he thought ruefully, looking around, _this place is hardly a maze anymore._ Unless the word 'maze' suddenly meant an everlasting stretch of darkness, which is (and he had checked) what it looks like outside the little library.

Now that he had firmly concluded that he was stuck in a maze, or what use to be a maze that use to be a garden, Syaoran had to decide what to do about it. Clearly whoever trapped him wanted to keep him from reaching home, or crossing the park, to be specific, and had cast the loop spell, which led him to the garden to be fully encased in the maze. Perhaps the maze was constructed so he could not reach Sakura?

Sakura is an Amade.

Thinking about that, Syaoran was also thinking along the lines of "duh", if there was a word for "duh" in Chinese. As he could not remember any, he could only settle with the Japanese "duh" and mentally slap himself on the head for not guessing that before.

So Sakura was an Amade. And according to the readings, there are _bad people_ on their way to destroy young Amadi, and Sakura was one of them. Of course they did not have to kill him. They would not want to waste their energy—though more vulnerable, young Amadi are still extremely powerful.

Yet something still did not add up. Syaoran could not tell why he felt it, only that he did, and his instincts were often correct. Truthfully, his instincts were all he ever had to go on, and he planned to rely on them as often as possible. Something did not add up, but there was little to be done about that.

There was little to be done about his situation either. Perhaps the ferret could lead him out? But the ferret was currently enjoying itself among the various dusty books on the shelves, and is most probably working for whichever wraith it was that cast the spell.

Wraith that cast the spell? That cannot be right…

" An Amade cast the spell." Syaoran felt stupid. He had just come to the conclusion several minutes ago, and had forgotten it completely. Well, that was what did not add up. An Amade cast the spell, which means it was an Amade that was keeping him from reaching Sakura. Perhaps because he would put her in more danger? It certainly made more sense now. Syaoran felt offended. He might not be so powerful, but he certainly was not _that _incompetent!

Where was Sakura anyway? Syaoran stood up, attracting the attention of the ferret. He hoped she is alright. If she is not, he is not sure how he would change that.

oO

" It's not working." Sakura leaned back in frustration. The cards revealed nothing. They seemed to be randomly scattered, making no sense whatsoever. Even Kero agreed, and that was saying something.

Eriol was also using his own methods of looking through a bowl of tea. Both efforts were fruitless, however—neither Syaoran nor Yue could be found.

" This is hopeless." Sakura sighed, holding her face in her hands for a moment. " There must be something else we can try."

" I can do a little research." Eriol offered. " It will take time though."

" We don't have time." Sakura sighed despondently. She was getting increasingly worried.

" No," Eriol agreed, " However, there is little else we can do. I did not expect you to meet such trials so early. Perhaps later, when you have grown, if at all."

" Don't you find it odd," Tomoyo looked out the window, " That the entire time you were out there neither of you were attacked?"

" Unless you count Yue." Nakuru answered dryly.

" But isn't Yue a moon guardian?" Tomoyo pointed out, " And Li-kun uses moon magic."

" There is a possible relationship." Eriol looked at Nakuru. " Perhaps it was because we were often together, otherwise you might have been taken too."

" Well, we did separate, deliberately." Nakuru pointed out. " And I was not kidnapped then."

" True." Sakura turned around. " But Yukito was carrying Syaoran's lace."

It seemed like an important detail. The wraiths might have wanted Syaoran's lace. Why though?

" Perhaps it was more valuable than we assumed." Eriol flicked through the drawers. " Do you know Li's phone number? To Hong Kong, that is?"

They found the area code to Hong Kong, but not Li's phone number. Apparently Syaoran did not need to write his home phone number down and so never bothered to. It was a depressing matter, but Eriol decided to go online and see if he could find the phone number from there.

The problem was, there were several million Li families in Hong Kong.

" You went to Hong Kong before, did you not?" Eriol inquired.

" I can't remember the address though." Sakura answered. " I think Syaoran's mother was the matriarch. Her name was Li Yelan."

" What a pretty name." Eriol smiled. He typed it in.

The search lasted about one hour, before they finally got to what might be Syaoran's home phone number. Eriol offered to call, as he was the reincarnation of Clow Reed and might survive Yelan's wrath.

It was Fuutie who picked up.

" Ah," She sounded a little bit dumb, as if she drank too much liquor; " Ah. Niang!"

There was a commotion at the back, and Eriol could only pick up some 'ang's and 'ing's, before Yelan was on the line.

" Hiriingaziwa-san." She greeted, a little coldly, but then she knew beforehand that her son was missing. " Have you found him?"

" Unfortunately, iie." Eriol answered. " And we appeared to have lost Yue as well."

There was a pause.

" I suppose persuading him to return this morning would not have changed much." Yelan sounded a little dejected, but the anger was still there. " Have you discovered the cause of this?"

" We know that the Amadi are here." Eriol answered. " The Card Mistress appears to be one of their children. We also know that the Forbidden Wraiths are after her, and it is likely that they were the ones who kidnapped Li Syaoran."

" Why would they kidnap my son if they are after the Card Mistress?"

" You know well, I suppose, that Li-san and Sakura-san are good friends?"

There was a pause. " Find him quickly."

" Hold." Eriol said hurriedly. " I have a question. When Li-san left, he was not carrying his sword. Sakura's guardian, Yue, happened to be in possession of it when he went missing. Is there anything in that sword that might be valuable to the wraiths?"

" Nothing we have is so valuable." The sorceress answered. " It is merely his childhood weapon, the first and only gift from his father before he died."

The terse reply left Eriol feeling extremely uncomfortable. He reminded himself never to bring that topic up again.

" I am sorry." Eriol resisted the urge to groan. " We…we suspected that Yue was kidnapped for the sword."

" One advice," Yelan's voice sounded a little faint. " I do not know if you tried the lasin board yet, but it is Xiao Lang's personal device. If that device does not sense him, I doubt anything will. There are several procedures you need to go through before using it, as you are not Xiao Lang."

" I am listening."

Sakura tried to listen to the conversation, but Eriol had stopped speaking at that point, and Yelan began talking in English. After about fifteen minutes, during which Eriol scribbled on a piece of paper, he finally muttered a " thanks" and hung up.

" Here goes nothing." His eyes were solemn, but there was some hope in his voice.


	4. Chapter 4

Dance of the Amadi

Chapter 4

Syaoran did not know when he fell asleep, but he woke to find himself on a large, comfortable bed, dressed in his own pajamas, still in an unfamiliar room with a ferret snoring quietly on a pillow beside his.

There were white robes folded neatly on a chair right next to his, with leather arm guards and a white hood. There were brown boots under the chair, and black fingerless gloves.

Not exactly Amadi-fashion, but Syaoran did not care. He only wondered briefly where his own clothes went, but decided getting dressed in _that _won't hurt. It turned out there was an inner shirt, a leather vest, and grey pants. The robes were more of a tunic, though they extended past his knees, and the hood had leather straps. Syaoran had no idea what to do with the straps, but realized the hood would not stay on unless he tied them to his forehead. It was awkwardly done, and he was pretty sure he did it wrong, but after fumbling with them he did not look as ridiculous as he might have, unless the mirror on the bed stand had been bewitched.

He wondered why he had been given the robes. They were rather light, but warm as well, and made him feel like he was hopelessly floating. Were these designed for girls? He hoped not. It did not seem to be, anyway.

He spotted the ferret staring at him.

" What are you looking at?" Syaoran snapped, a little disconcerted. " It was the only thing on the chair."

Properly chastised, the ferret looked away and scampered off the bed.

" Did _you _put it there?" Syaoran asked as he bent down to pick up the animal. The ferret did not answer, only squealed. It was the first time the creature made any noise, and Syaoran was slightly amused.

" Is that a 'yes'?" Syaoran asked, cuddling the creature. " Now, tell me where to go."

He set the animal down. The ferret waddled out the door, and Syaoran followed.

oO

Eriol performed the spell, since he had the primary source and it would waste time to explain it to Sakura. The lasin board at first did not respond, but Yelan had warned that such a case might happen, and not to falter. He tried it a total of three times, before asking Sakura to use the Power Card to boost the spell. This time, there was a tiny flicker of magic, pointing in the direction of the garden. It flickered, and then went out.

Sakura cast the shield spell to prevent their magic from being detected, and then they left the apartment, with Tomoyo and Spinel once again staying inside in case Syaoran returns on his own. It was very doubtful, however, and both knew the reason Tomoyo was staying was because she had no magic and Spinel was supposed to protect her.

The rain had gotten worse, if possible. There was no one outside now, not even cars, and the sun had set a long time ago. Luckily, Sakura's shield spell also kept them dry. The garden looked grey and dismal, even the flowers lacking their luster—which was odd in itself because normally the darkness of the skies accentuates the color of the leaves and petals.

Before they could enter though, Sakura saw, through the fogginess of the air, six to eight figures, clad in brown, slowly making their way into the garden. Occasionally something at their waist flashed, but before Sakura could fully register it, they had disappeared. She sensed no magic, but she felt slightly faint and disoriented after they vanished, and could not help but wonder if it had merely been her imagination. She did not comment on what she saw.

Eriol performed the spell again, muttering under his breath, and the aura flickered into the garden. They followed the aura, and could see it led a little way down into the path before the aura flickered out.

" Come." Eriol said quietly. " Let us follow it, the best we can."

They went up the wet steps—Nakuru nearly slipped, and entered the garden. The harsh wind blew the rain into their faces, but Syaoran was still missing. Perhaps Syaoran was lying, helpless, somewhere, also in the cold, with no umbrella to shield him at all. They had to find him.

They walked.

oO

After walking in the darkness for some time, Syaoran could make out a dim light several yards away. As he approached it, he could make out the figure of a young Amade—for she has to be an Amade. She was dressed as the books say, in dark brown. She happened to be wiping some blood off of her sword.

" Erm…" But as Syaoran began he could tell the woman could not see nor hear him. He fell silent. The ferret balanced its forepaws on his leg and he picked it up.

The woman parted her lips and began to sing. What she was saying, Syaoran could only get the gist of, but he was too entranced in her song to care. The magic seemed to flow and twirl around them, as if manipulated by the melody. Slowly, he began to piece the meaning and words with the notes of her song.

" _All is hung on a single thread," _She seemed to be musing to herself, _" A thread that holds but barely. With each passing clock, the thread quivers, and threatens to break."_

Syaoran watched, solemn.

" _If not broken now," _She looked up, _" It will break after, unless it is mended."_

" What on earth is she talking about?" Syaoran asked the ferret, who, as expected, did not answer.

" _Fate has great plans." _She slid her sword into her sheath. _" Our numbers grow fewer with time. I wonder who will go next, to pair with Marmane."_

" I thought Amadi aren't usually killed." Syaoran looked at the ferret in confusion. The ferret, incapable of expressing its own thoughts through facial expressions, gave him no answer.

" _Would the child be a he?" _She turned, and seemed to look through Syaoran, " _Or a she?"_

The scene changed, like a dream. Syaoran found himself standing in the middle of a large grassy plain. The Amade was next to him, head held high, stature proud. Her sword was drawn, though she was not in a defensive stance. In front of her was a dark, grey-cloaked being. The Amade next to him sang, and he could feel the power of the entire race concentrating and moving into her—but the grey being raised its staff and struck the ground in front of it. The Amade leaped into the air, still singing a high song, and the ground shook and red-hot magma spewed from the cracks.

Then Syaoran could only see the hot sparks and the black shadow of the proud Amade, and the roar of the earth beneath him as it quaked and shook and tumbled, the magma, if it could be called that, rose up as if to catch her. After what seemed like forever, the Amade's sword flashed for the last time, and she fell, her face still proud and unafraid, into the cracks, and her figure melted and mingled with the red blood of the earth. Syaoran was suddenly aware that the music of the Amadi, intense before, rose to an unbearable pitch and intensity. Something bright white shot out of the sky, and something shot out of the earth. They met, creating an explosion that blasted the grey figure several meters away. Slowly, ever so slowly, the glowing light began to take a humanoid shape. It was small, not even a foot long, silent and fair.

By this time, the grey figure had gotten to its feet. It grabbed its staff and struck the earth again, this time the cracks leading toward the glowing child. The force of the splitting earth pushed the baby off the ground, and it shimmered. Syaoran heard the grey-cloaked figure growl, and utter something in frustration and anger, as the child morphed into light once again and shot away from the ground, into the sky again.

The world suddenly became very bright, and hundreds of voices whispered in the air, along with the forceful beating of the drum, extending power and might in their words. _" Amadi blood has been spilt. Amadi child was threatened harm. Fate's partner has been lost, and treaties have been undone. The gates shall close, and Fate will voice, as she sees fit. We shall not forget." _

The world dimmed and Syaoran was back in the darkness. He felt, from the back of his mind, that the world destroyed itself, the Amadi having abandoned it. The child must have been Sakura, escaping from that world into this one so she could survive. He shuddered and hugged the ferret close to him. The ferret nuzzled his neck and squealed. He shuddered again.

So that was what she meant. To have an Amadi child, two Amadi, one male and one female, must die first. He wondered if they ever had any twins. It did not seem so. He supposed it was the price for having immortality.

Shuddering again, he walked back, and found himself in the library.

" Wish someone was here." Syaoran said to the ferret. " Other than you. You're good company, but I need someone to tell me I'm not going insane."

oO

" This is insane." Sakura sighed. They were searching for hours. It was now pitch black, and without the Light Card they could not anything." What is all this? What is the meaning of this? And where is Syaoran-kun?"

The Card Mistress was in no mood for jokes. She was worried out of her mind, and with each passing second, getting more and more irritable. She was definitely not in the mood for jokes. And this, with Syaoran's board flickering as if taunting them, and no Syaoran to be found, is looking more and more like a joke.

Eriol, while he did not explode like Sakura did, was also getting extremely annoyed. This was his descendant, and the wraiths have no right to play around like this. Sighing, he grabbed hold of Sakura's hand.

" Everyone hold hands." He ordered, remembering what happened with Yue. " We do not want to lose anyone."

He felt Nakuru take his other hand, and Sakura clench tightly. She was afraid, he could tell, for both herself and everyone else. For all they know, they could have just walked into their deaths, if the wraiths were waiting here.

It was still raining. Ahead Eriol saw some shadows, but they could simply be trees moving. He did not comment on them. The thunder and lightning was beginning to wear on everyone's nerves. He glanced at his watch. Sakura should be getting home by now.

Taking out his cell phone, Eriol called Tomoyo.

" Iie." Tomoyo answered. " He has not returned. I think you should get back. It's getting late and the weather's awful. You might not get killed by the wraith tonight, but the later you guys stay out there the more chances you'd get of getting killed by something else. Say, a drunk driver."

" We can't!" Sakura protested when Eriol suggested this. " Syaoran is still out here somewhere! And Yue!"

" We do not have much of a choice." Eriol broke off to cough, " We have to find out a better plan, if there is any. At this rate, we will never find Syaoran or Yue, especially since it's so dark. The wraiths could easily take advantage of the dark to overwhelm us. We have to get back!"

It was late.

" But what about Yue?"

" He can take care of himself!" _And hopefully Syaoran can too._ " Come on!"

Lightning cracked and thunder roared. The rain seemed to gush even more. The flat roads they walked on seemed to flood with mud and floating stones, and gurgled down the stair steps. Using the Float Card Sakura managed to keep everyone above the torrent, but it was hardly needed because everyone was wet anyway.

As they hurried, Sakura noticed her state and realized her father and brother were going to kill her.

oO

" I'm bored." Syaoran complained. He never imagined that, when being held hostage, he would be in the state of mind to complain about something as inane as that. " These books contain nothing except history. And after a while history should take a break."

In response, the ferret nosed a book off a shelf and it fell to the carpet with a dull thud.

Syaoran stared. " Is that a suggestion?"

The ferret squealed.

" You can read." Syaoran observed flatly. The ferret growled a little in annoyance. " I really must be going mad. But oh well, not like my current situation is sane." He went forward and picked up the book. He flicked it open and read a little.

" Nice. I get to learn stuff from this. How to…is this magic? This does not look like magic…oh well." Syaoran sat back. " Might be useful. Mind control, interesting." He suddenly looked up at the ferret.

" You're not a ferret, are you?" A squeal. " There's no possible way you could be a ferret. I know. You're squealing." Another squeal. " But there's no way you could just be a ferret."

The ferret only squealed in response, and Syaoran was not getting much intelligent input, so after listening to the creature for a while he shrugged and continued reading. " Who knows," He thought out loud, " If this is a dream, I might actually learn enough from reading imaginary books to put them to use in real life. What do you think?"

A squeal. Though this one was half-hearted.

oO

By the time the group arrived at the Kinomoto residence the weather was so bad that everyone had to sleep over. Tomoyo and Spinel were trapped in Syaoran's apartment, which was fine because apparently Syaoran had some food in the kitchen—enough to partially sate Spinel's appetite.

Eriol and Sakura worked together to set up shields around the house. To Touya and Fujitaka it merely looked like they were playing some sort of odd charade.

" I doubt the shields would really work, but it's all we have." Eriol frowned. Thunder boomed. " We would have to make do till morning."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

Kero fluttered around. " I can't sense Yue. I still can't sense Yue. This doesn't make any sense. This makes no sense. I can't believe this. It's so ridiculous!"

" I just hope morning's not too late." Sakura looked out the dark window. " I hope we won't be too late, waiting around like this."

" You guys were not attacked this time either." Tomoyo's voice in the speakerphone sounded far away, as if she were on the other side of the room in Syaoran's apartment. " And look, Yue was captured because he had Li-kun's lace, and Li-kun's disappeared. Maybe we were looking at this wrong."

" What do you mean?" Eriol asked.

" I mean, how come Sakura wasn't attacked?"

" I was. At the park."

" But then Eriol attacked them and they left, remember? If they really took Li-kun because they want to get to you more easily, how come they took Yue and not Kero?"

" It could be just a random choice." Sakura replied, looking at Eriol for confirmation. " I was looking and talking to Kero when Yue disappeared."

" Technically they could have kidnapped Kero when you were talking to Yue instead." Eriol replied. " Tomoyo is onto something. Maybe they were going for Syaoran all along."

" Why? Do you think _he _is the Amadi child?" Nakuru asked.

" Maybe. It would not be that hard to believe. Maybe he was only _pretending _he was magically weaker than Sakura, that way he is less noticed."

" But this presents another problem." Tomoyo's voice sounded louder now. She also sounded like she was eating something. " If they were going for Li-kun all along, how come they took Yue? They had Li-kun already. They hardly needed Yue."

" Maybe because there were two sides." Eriol stood abruptly. " We shouldn't be too optimistic, but there are two sides. The Amadi are also here. They have to be—they would follow the wraiths. Maybe one took Syaoran and the other took Yue."

" Or maybe, if we are lucky," Kero supplied hopefully, " The Amadi took _both _the gaki _and _Yue so that the Forbidden Wraiths can't trace him."

" I doubt it." Sakura suddenly paled. " Remember how quickly the wraiths retreated? What if that was when they caught Syaoran-kun?"

Everyone was silent after that.

" But that wouldn't explain why they took Yue." Tomoyo suggested.

" Yes it would." Eriol replied slowly, with trepidation. " You could use the same logic for the Amadi on the Forbidden Wraiths. They could have taken Yue so the Amadi couldn't trace him."

" But what about the lasin board?" Spinel suddenly reminded. His mouth sounded so full they could not make out the words. " Didn't the lasin board show every once in a while that the kid was in the garden?"

" It did kind of point to the same general area—we just didn't manage to get there." Nakuru observed.

" So tomorrow, if the weather clears, we go." Sakura declared.

" And if it doesn't?" Kero asked.

" Oh!" Sakura slumped. " I don't know. Maybe I can light a fire in the clouds and evaporate them all away."

" You might not want to do that." Eriol replied. " In case the wraiths and Amadi _do _want you. Look, I'll use my lasin board to make sure he's still there." With a few muttered charms the light flickered, pointing in the direction of the garden.

" I guess he's still there." Sakura said after a pause.

" Hopefully Yue's with him." Kero grunted.


	5. Chapter 5

Dance of the Amadi

Chapter 5

Aralyn managed to avoid dealing with the Amadi for several millennia already, ever since they left her to die. It did not matter that she was resurrected—she still thought it was uncalled for and their relationship had been sour ever since. However, this time the Amadi had humbly pleaded for her assistance regarding a wayward child, and because of her former mortal nature, she reluctantly agreed.

No one liked Earth. Least of all the Amadi. There were plenty of worlds that were more messed up than Earth, but Earth was one of those crazy worlds that should be avoided as much as possible. It had baffled the Amadi, why _Yideña _chose Earth out of all worlds to escape to, but Aralyn, upon reaching Japan, could see how the chaos, what with the depression and the disorganization and the insanity, could easily hide a lonely child within the folds of a mad society.

_" Why are you hiding the boy in the _garden_?"_ She asked.

_" He was heading toward the wraiths. It was the route he chose. We did the best we could."_

Aralyn frowned. _Not good at all._ She tested the magic in the air. _" They are targeting the girl?"_

_" Yes."_

_" Well," _Aralyn frowned even more. _" I fail to see what I can do here."_

_" You are the most powerful being in the plane."_

_" It is not interesting. Besides, the Forbidden Wraiths are hardly focused and barely much of a threat. I cannot see why you would need my help in this case."_

_" We are currently trapped here."_

_" Wonderful." _Aralyn looked around. _" I suppose, if I were to have any amusement from this at all, I will have to enter the act."_

oO

He had gone through about eleven books now and learned all kinds of strange things, but he did not learn how to get out of the library. At first the ferret actually seemed angry that he even tried, but eventually just curled up, watching him.

He was starting to get hungry again. He wondered what it would take before the delicious meal would appear. Just when will they let him out? And how much time passed since he got stuck here?

" You know, in terms of security, this is really what the Amadi should be doing to Sakura, not me." Syaoran said to the ferret, not expecting a response. " I mean, how many hours have we been here already? And not a single person appeared. If Sakura were here, this would be the ideal place to protect her."

The ferret merely purred, apparently bored.

" If the wraiths _are _around," Syaoran ignored the ferret, " This would be _the _place to hide the Amadi child."

The ferret raised its head. Syaoran studied its expression.

" I'm missing something." Syaoran realized. " I'm missing something, aren't I? What am I missing?"

The ferret only squealed. Syaoran sighed. The little animal put its head back down on the cushions.

" Kami, and I thought being cooped up in an apartment was bad." Syaoran paced. " I wonder if Sakura is alright. I mean…hopefully the wraiths didn't get to her…"

His robes caught on the chair and he tugged at it absently. Then he stared at it.

" You never did tell me why I'm wearing this." He scolded the ferret, who only flicked an ear. " Where did my normal clothes go anyway?" A snore. " This is so confusing!"

A footstep. Syaoran whirled around. There were steady footsteps approaching the entrance to the library. The ferret suddenly darted away from the sofa and disappeared. Syaoran looked around for it. He could see a shadow outlining the figure, and stepped back, growing frightened. He wished he had his sword, or something. Perhaps he could use what he learned from the books to defend himself. Or perhaps it was an Amade, here to explain some things.

A familiar face bloomed into view when the light hit.

" Yue!" And before Syaoran could stop himself he was running towards the guardian. " Yue! Kami-sama—How did you get here? And where are the others?"

Yue bent down and held Syaoran before him by the arms, looking over the boy as if scanning to see if anything was wrong. After a moment of silence Syaoran suddenly thought he realized why Yue was so quiet.

" Uh…eeto…I fell asleep and these clothes were beside the…" _This is very difficult to explain for some reason._

" You appear to be well."

" Hai." Syaoran agreed. " Just confused. And stuck. I can't get out of here. How did you find me?"

" An Amade told me they needed my help." Yue replied vaguely, as if he were as confused as Syaoran. " Then she led me to a bush, and I found myself in a maze. She disappeared. I wandered here and found you by chance."

Syaoran groaned, the same time his stomach did, so at first Yue did not notice. " So we are stuck, _together._ At least I have company." _On second thought, Yue is not really the most ideal companion…_

Yue looked around. " You at least appear to be busy." He noted, looking at the open book on the sofa.

" Oh that?" Syaoran frowned. " I tried finding out ways to get out of here, but none of them work. Everything else did though." For emphasis, he created a fireball in his hand and, on a strange whim, created a water ball and a lightning ball in the other and tried to juggle them. He could not juggle, and quickly erased the balls before they could destroy anything. Yue stared at him, expression unreadable, and Syaoran's stomach decided to protest again. Loudly this time.

Yue's eyes darted to the offending source. " Have you eaten?"

" Well…hai." Syaoran nodded. " This place…they fed me." _Really good stuff too._

" How come they are not feeding you now?"

" Because…" _Where is it anyway? _" There was a ferret…that led me to…the…place." He could not exactly call it a dining hall, could he?

He was _really _hungry now. Ignoring his stomach had never been a good idea. He was not really bothered by the noises it makes—he kind of figured after that other day with Yue on the roof, a stomach growling could not possibly damage his image any further. But it seriously hurts, and he had a feeling that if this goes on the pain might actually make him start whining. He was never fond of other people whining, so he hated whining himself. But if this goes on…

" Come." Yue headed toward the exit. " Perhaps we can find our way out of here."

Syaoran was reluctant to venture out into the darkness, but Yue was not waiting, so he jogged to catch up. Instead of the blackness, however, there was the familiar table, with the meals, and two chairs instead of one. Yue paused.

Syaoran was delighted. His stomach growled in agreement. " That was what happened the other time." He explained to the bewildered guardian as he settled down to help himself. The food tasted delicious. Yue slowly sat down in the other chair and watched the boy devour the food. Syaoran did not care what the guardian thought. He had every right to pig out. He was starving.

oO

In the middle of the night Sakura suddenly woke. She climbed out of bed quickly and rushed out to the guest room where Nakuru was. Eriol was sharing a room with Touya, who was rather easy about it. She did not want to wake her brother because of a stupid dream, but Sakura could not help but think it might be more than that.

" Psst! Nakuru-san!"

" Huh?" Nakuru looked at her. " Nani?"

" I think something's outside."

Nakuru snapped up, eyes darting around. " I think you're right."

The two hurried back to Sakura's room, where Kero was still snoring.

" Kero-chan!" Sakura whispered. " Kero-chan! Wake up!"

" Nani?" Kero yawned. " What now?"

" I think the wraiths are outside the house!"

Kero froze in mid-stretch. " Iie." He commented flatly. " That can't be good."

It was still pouring outside. Sakura could not see anything, but it seemed like there was a black mist around the house.

" Forbidden Wraiths." Kero muttered. " They really take it seriously." Sakura did not ask what he meant."

Eriol entered the room. " You found out too?"

" I _dreamt _it." Sakura hissed. " I did not sense _anything!_ But I dreamed there was a mist around the house and then I woke up."

" What do we do?" Kero asked.

" I have to call Tomoyo-chan." Sakura whispered, fumbling for her phone. " What if the wraiths are around Syaoran-kun's apartment?"

" I doubt it." Eriol muttered. " Seems like they are after you, after all."

Sakura talked quietly into the phone. " Tomoyo-chan? Gomen nasai. I just want you to look out the window. Do you see anything?"

The group waited in anticipation.

" Yoshi. Iie…we have a mist around the house. Iie, we're fine. Hoe?"

" Looks like it's just us." Kero fluttered. " Stupid Spinel—he gets to have it easy."

" Obviously they are not what the Forbidden Wraiths are after." Eriol replied. " They do not appear to be moving in. Perhaps the shields are working after all."

" Or maybe they cannot sense us." Kero replied. " I am in my false form, and none of you guys are using magic."

" I am not testing that theory." Sakura replied after hanging up. " What should we do?"

" Go back to sleep. Kero, stand guard." Eriol waved Nakuru out. " We do not have many options to begin with." He left, closing the door softly.

Sakura glanced at Kero. " If that mist hangs around until morning, we're going to have a lot to explain to Otou-san and Oni-chan."

oO

Syaoran was tiring. After he finished eating Yue had insisted—well, not insisted, because he just kind of said it and Syaoran could not argue—that they start finding a way out of this place. Syaoran had started running a little because Yue was starting to walk very fast and it was hard to keep up with his long legs. It seemed the guardian forgot he was there.

The running annoyed Syaoran. He did not like being short. Especially since Yue was so tall. The running rudely reminded him of it. Unfortunately, he was tiring, and also getting drowsy. Perhaps it was the food. And he was getting a cramp in his side. He should not be running with his stomach full.

How many hours have they been wandering? Syaoran almost preferred to just sit and wait. Almost. But he was right; Yue was not the best of companions. He actually kind of sucked. The whole time the guardian did not speak, which made Syaoran wonder if he seemed as much of a jerk when he gave Sakura the silent treatment when they first met. But at least he did not force her to run around with her stomach full. It was really painful.

But he was _not _going to complain!

" I cannot see anything." Yue looked around in the darkness. " Can you?"

Syaoran stopped, heaving and panting. " Iie." He huffed, out of breath. His eyes felt gritty and dry. " Wonder, where, that, ferret went," He coughed and rubbed his eyes.

Yue did not notice. " It must end somewhere. It began before."

" Assuming it did not change." Syaoran supplied.

" Assuming it did not." The guardian agreed. " Come." He started off again. Syaoran repressed a groan.

They went, Yue walking, Syaoran running to catch up. The guardian did not even look back to make sure the boy was with him. Yue was feeling unnerved. He had never spent this long without the view of the sky before, in the open air. The darkness was suffocating. He wondered how his mistress was doing. He chose a random direction and continued. Hopefully it would eventually lead them out.

Syaoran's legs hurt. His head hurt. His knees were stiff and his feet were sore and every time he stepped a wave of pain lashed through his bones and into his spine. He felt like someone was drilling a hole into his legs every time his feet contacted the ground. Was there a ground?

" Yue!" He called out. The guardian started, surprised by the sound of his voice, and stopped, turning around. Syaoran did not want to complain, but his legs folded under him without his command and he fell heavily.

The guardian rushed to him. " What is wrong?" he asked. " Was the food poisoned?"

" Iie." Syaoran was embarrassed. Should he tell him the truth? It was kind of lame. _Uh, you were going too fast and I can't keep up with you._ He recalled his mother telling him to be respectful to Yue. Ha! Like _that _would rank as respectful.

" Then what is it?" Yue asked, as if waiting for him to get up.

" Ano—" A yawn, " Uh," _Awkward awkward awkward—_

" Li Syaoran, this is not the time to be playing games." Yue looked around anxiously. " Get up. The sooner we find the exit the sooner we can get out of here."

Syaoran made quite a valiant effort, but his legs had become numb. " Uh—Yue—I don't think I can…" Yawn. He was so tired.

Yue knelt on one knee next to him. " What is wrong with your legs?" He reached out and felt them.

Finally, more unnerved by Yue's behavior, Syaoran squeezed out " I'm tired…"

Yue looked at him in disbelief, taking in his exhausted features. " You did not say anything earlier."

Syaoran looked down sheepishly. " Gomen nasai."

Yue hesitated in silence, going over everything. The child must have been following him for several hours. Outside it must be at least past midnight. And Yue did recall hearing the boy gasping for breath, as if he had been running. Perhaps the boy kept quiet so Yue would not be annoyed? Yue frowned wryly at the memory of the same child balancing on the roof just last night, as if doing it to purposely give the guardian a heart attack. But the child was tired, and from the looks of it, sleepy. He had not complained until his legs gave out. The boy has a surprising amount of endurance, and patience, for that matter.

" Come." Yue lifted the boy. Syaoran gave a yelp of surprise. " Unless you think you can walk?"

Syaoran looked at him warily, then wrapped his arms around the guardian's neck. Yue was briefly reminded of Sakura doing the same thing once, and noted that Syaoran was not much bigger than Sakura really. The boy's body was tense, and he seemed to be doing his best to keep as still as possible. Yue began walking.

Syaoran thought this was surreal. He was being carried around by Yue. First of all, he was being carried. That was just…Second, it was _Yue._ Yue! This is it. He was dreaming. There could be no explanation.

Speaking of dreaming…

Yue felt the child's body slowly relax. The boy's head settled on his shoulder and he heard the child's breathing slow and deepen. Syaoran had fallen asleep. He adjusted his hold so he would hold the child more securely, and pressed on.

oO

Morning came. Except everything was dark. The only reason Sakura knew it was morning was because the clock said so. The window told a different story.

_The mist._ She thought. _Great. _Were they to be trapped inside the house? Or could they sneak out and look for Syaoran?

" Kaijuu." Touya called as she came downstairs. Fujitaka looked pale.

" I can explain…that…" Sakura realized then that she probably could have spared herself any explanations had she kept silent.

" Your friend did all the explaining." Touya replied, and Sakura saw Eriol.

Relieved that she did not have to do the explaining, she sat down at the table and looked at her family and friends.

" What do we do now?" She asked.

" We have Tomoyo come over and take a look."

" Nani!" Sakura cried. " We can't do that! What if she gets hurt?"

" Let me finish." Eriol sounded exasperated. " We need to know what the situation is from the outside. We can instruct Tomoyo to view the house a safe distance away."

" It is our only option at the moment." Nakuru pointed out. " We can't do anything without knowing what is going on outside. Now we do not want to risk opening the door and letting all the wraiths in."

" They are not coming down from the chimney." Touya noted.

" That is to our luck. But then, we cannot leave the house through the chimney either, so perhaps it is because of that." Eriol turned to Sakura. " Call Tomoyo. Tell Spinel Sun not to use magic if he could avoid it."

Tomoyo just woke up.

" Take a look at your house?" She asked. " What for?"

" The mist. Remember?" Sakura replied. " It's still around the house, apparently. Eriol wants you to take a look and tell us what it's like from the outside. Maybe Syaoran-kun has some binoculars?"

" Uh, Sakura-chan, there is a slight problem with that." Tomoyo's voice fell silent.

" Nani?" Sakura blinked.

" The streets are flooded." Tomoyo answered tightly. " I don't think I can even make it out of the building. I guess you can't tell, with the mist and all."

Sakura looked at Eriol. " She says it's flooded outside. She might not be able to come."

Silence greeted this.

Tomoyo's voice broke through the quiet. " You know, at this point this entire deal does not make sense, no matter how you look at it."

" If Li is the child, why are they bothering to trap us here?" Eriol continued her thoughts.

" To keep us from going after him?" Kero suggested.

" _And _Yue?" Nakuru looked at everyone.

Eriol drew out a sheet of paper. " Say Yue and Li are both with the Forbidden Wraiths."

" They might run into some problems with the Amadi." Sakura was not sure where this was going.

" Which means…" Kero paused,

" They might have some problems leaving." Tomoyo finished.

Eriol and Sakura looked at each other.

" So maybe they are not really trapping _us._ They are trying to trap the Amadi."

" Nonsense. The Amadi will not be deterred by a mere flood. And besides, the mist is around your house. Which means the Forbidden Wraiths are hanging out around _here._" Kero looked at the windows. " Sure wish they won't, though."

" So what? The Amadi made the rain?"

" Let's go with that." Eriol agreed. " The Amadi made the rain to deter the Forbidden Wraiths."

" You think the wraiths would care about some water?"

" Maybe they dislike them. We know the Amadi wouldn't care, but perhaps the wraiths will. No one knows them as well."

" That does not make sense."

" Or maybe the storm is a kind of shield. To mask the house. Notice the wraiths aren't coming in." Nakuru suggested.

" But that would mean the Amadi are protecting _me._ And I thought _my _shields were the ones deflecting them."

" Maybe you _are _the Amadi child." Tomoyo replied. " Maybe the Forbidden Wraiths took Li-kun and Yue-san as hostages, and waited around your house for you to come out and ambush you."

" Doesn't explain what happened yesterday." Kero replied.

" Maybe they were preoccupied yesterday?"

" You children are somewhat off the mark." An unfamiliar voice interrupted them. The group turned around as one to see a green-clad woman, looking almost sourly at the windows. She was young and had long black hair and dark eyes. In her hand she held a plain looking staff.

" Who are you?" Eriol shot to his feet, hand on his key.

" My name is Aralyn." Aralyn paused. " Though I doubt that means much at this point."

" Aralyn?" Eriol's hand left his key. " The Sorceress?"

Aralyn squinted at Eriol. " You are Clow Reed's reincarnation, are you not?"

Eriol was speechless.

Aralyn groaned, as if it was Eriol's fault. " If I tell you everything, I risk my own amusement, but I get so frustrated when you folks go around in circles. So I will give you a hint. Your friends are not with the Forbidden Wraiths. In fact, the Forbidden Wraiths have even less of an idea where they are than you do. Two hints, actually."

The group looked at each other. " They are with the Amadi." And the atmosphere instantly relaxed.

" Is Syaoran-kun the Amadi child?" Sakura asked.

" If he is, why did they take Yue?" Kero responded.

" If he is not, why did they take him in the first place?" Sakura pointed out.

" Then why are the wraiths after you?"

The group turned to Aralyn, who looked like she was in pain.

" I already gave you two hints. You can figure out the rest by yourself." Aralyn walked over to the windows and inspected the darkness outside.

" Alright," Eriol sat down, " So Li and Yue are with the Amadi. Which means they should be fine."

" And the rain?" Kero pressed.

" To keep us away?" Nakuru suggested.

" Away from _what?_ Syaoran-kun?"

" The wraiths are already around Sakura's house." Tomoyo pointed out. " Maybe the rain was to keep _Li _away from _us._"

" Because the wraiths found Sakura anyway." Eriol continued with that logic.

A pause.

" And Yue?" Sakura asked.

" Maybe Yue found Li, but before he could say anything they took him too."

" Or maybe since Yue has the same type of magic as Li they trusted him to keep Li company?"

" Not that doubtful." Eriol sighed. There was a silence.

" Syaoran-kun is the Amadi child." Sakura tested the words.

" Bravo!" Aralyn exclaimed unexpectedly. " Now that you finally figured that out, maybe you can press your foreheads together and try to find a way to get rid of the mist around your house. I assure you those _are _the Forbidden Wraiths, and they _are _after the wrong person. They are also currently hacking away at your shields, which I am surprised you did not sense, and will be entering the house in ten…nine…eight…"

The group scrambled into action.


	6. Chapter 6

Dance of the Amadi

Chapter 6

Syaoran woke up in the same bed. Yue was asleep next to him, which made him wonder. Yue did not seem like the type to just lie down on a bed. Plus, he should have transformed into Yukito if he were actually tired. Perhaps the…whatever this place is—prevented Yue from transforming?

There was a familiar squeal, and Syaoran looked down to find the ferret scurrying over to him. He knelt down and picked it up. It nosed his face, its whiskers tickling him. Syaoran fought down a sneeze.

Syaoran silently stepped outside the room, into the darkness, and held the ferret in front of him.

" Yue does not like this place you know."

Squeal.

" I can't say I like this place much either. Though the food is good, and the bed is quite comfortable."

Squeal.

" Have any idea why Yue can't transform?"

A growl.

" Just how long are we going to stay here anyway?"

Growl.

" You know, that other day when there was a new moon, Yue looked sick. Maybe you can find a place where he could feel some moonlight or something. Is that how it works, anyway?"

The ferret bobbed its head, but somehow Syaoran doubted it was nodding.

Syaoran sighed, and let the ferret scamper up to his shoulder and head. He looked back and studied Yue's glowing form. Should he wake him?

The ferret suddenly jumped from his head. Syaoran caught it in midair, but it squirmed and he quickly set it on the ground. The animal then scampered up to the bed, its body waddling, and nosed Yue. Syaoran stared.

Yue's eyes shot open and he started, staring at the creature. Syaoran hurried over.

" Gomen nasai…" He mumbled lamely, gathering the creature in his arms. This time the ferret cooperated. " You did not have to wake him!" He hissed at the beast.

He stopped when Yue laid a hand on his shoulder. He was silent, but his eyes were intense. Syaoran huddled into himself a little under that gaze.

" What is it?" He demanded defensively.

Yue did not answer. He turned his gaze to the ferret. " I do not remember coming here." He finally said.

" Coming where?" Syaoran blinked. " Oh. The bedroom? Well…it was kind of the same thing with me, the first time, I mean."

Yue paused. " It appears we are not harmed yet."

" If that's what you're worried about?" Syaoran blinked. " I could have told you that as soon as you got here. This is the Amadi's thing. Not sure what they want with me. Do you think they want me out of the way or something?"

" At present, unlikely." Yue looked at Syaoran's attire. " It is more possible that _you _are the Amadi child, and they are trying to protect you."

oO

The mists came swirling in, but they all stopped in front of Aralyn, who just sat there staring at them. For a moment everything was silent, save for the roar of the rain outside.

" Hai. I am actually helping them." Aralyn flatly pointed out. The mist seemed to recoil a little. It then seemed to leech across the walls to the rest of the house. Aralyn did nothing to stop them.

" What's going on?" Tomoyo asked from the speakerphone that Sakura pressed.

" You know," Aralyn continued to talk to the wisps of black on the walls, " I am hardly going to leave this group alone any time soon. I have all the time there is to be had. Do not delude yourself into thinking that because I am usually passive, I would allow for any…_mischief_."

Silence.

Aralyn turned to the group. " A little water might be nice."

" Hoe?" Sakura blinked owlishly. " Oh!" She quickly drew out the card.

By the time the wraiths were gone, the entire house was drenched.

" My homework!" Touya yelled. " And the television!" But it was half-hearted.

" Hmph." Aralyn looked disappointed. " Not much action there."

Eriol glared at her. " Arigatou." He managed.

Aralyn turned to him and raised an eyebrow. Sakura hurriedly broke in. " What should we do about Syaoran-kun?"

" Oh. He is in safe hands." Aralyn turned, smiling. " He is just a bit stuck, which is why I am here. We need to get him out of here, and home." She folded her arms. " I am actually not sure why I agreed to this. This is definitely not interesting, despite the the baby Amade involved."

" I doubt Syaoran would appreciate that." Eriol reproached.

Aralyn shrugged.

" Sakura-chan? Who is that?" Tomoyo asked.

" Do you two know each other?" Sakura asked.

Eriol sighed. " She is the Sorceress. She is far older than…well, this world, really. She used to be mortal, but she died and…was resurrected. The Amadi owe her a lot of things."

" Of course they did. I only saved them more times than they could count." Aralyn interrupted dryly.

" Clow Reed met her while creating the cards." Eriol went on. " She…she created several of the cards."

" Which ones?" Nakuru asked.

" Sweet Card." Aralyn replied, smiling cheekily. " Sweet Card, Cloud Card, Twin Card, and I believe, the Glow Card."

Kero and Nakuru were giving her looks of disbelief. At their expressions, the Sorceress smirked. " I made those to annoy Reed. He was only allowed to make four more cards at the point."

" She has a sense of humor." Eriol's voice was strained.

Aralyn looked a little haughtily at Eriol.

" She is the most powerful person you can really come across." Eriol finally finished after a moment's pause.

" Arigatou." Aralyn raised her eyebrows. " Though I hardly needed that." She suddenly stomped on the floor. " Japanese floors." She commented.

Eriol glared at her, but he seemed almost nervous. Everyone was silent for a moment.

" Say, Daidouji girl," Aralyn waved her hand out, " Might want to inform the boy's mother of her son's identity."

" Oh." Tomoyo hesitated. " I…I guess I should hang up."

" Hold on, how about…Eriol-kun can tell her?" Sakura blinked. " Or…should I?"

" I will." Eriol replied. " Tomoyo-chan, can you give me the phone number to Hong Kong? I do not remember it. It should be on the table…unless you threw it away."

" No, I did not throw it away. Did not think to, really." Tomoyo's voice faded and there were sounds of the phone being set on the table.

Sakura turned anxiously to Aralyn, who only looked on with a blank expression.

oO

" This makes no sense!" Syaoran protested vehemently. " This makes no sense. I'm not listening to this."

" You are only so upset because you know I might be speaking the truth."

" It makes no sense. I said it already. I'm nowhere as powerful as Sakura."

" Perhaps that has a reason of its own. Recall how I told you already—Clow Reed saw you but did not know what to make of you. And the current hospitality of our hosts, wherever they are. Your current garb. The library."

" But I could not even win the Final Judgment."

" And what a mess it would have been if you did." Yue replied easily.

" Iie." Syaoran was frustrated, feeling like the evidence was too obvious for him to continue repeating himself like this. For some reason Yue did not understand, no matter how he worded it.

" Look, you don't get it. Remember that time when Sakura fell into the hole at the Penguin slide? I couldn't even break through Hiriingaziwa's barriers. And besides martial arts, I can't do anything…" He was not even feeling awkward about admitting this, to _Yue _of all people. He was confused. How could Yue not understand?

Yue merely stared at him coldly. " You would be rather young for an Amade. I imagine that your powers would need much time to grow."

" I thought Amadi are supposed to be more powerful than everyone else." Syaoran insisted. " Sakura's way more powerful than me. If it's anyone, it's her."

" Except she is not the one currently trapped here."

" Are you sure? I mean, maybe she's here, but we can't find her."

" Iie. I doubt it. The Amade asked me for a favor, and while it did take me some time, I found you. Obviously they wanted my help protecting you."

" But—" Syaoran was having a hard time finding a comeback for that one. A desperation seized his heart suddenly. " That makes no sense! And—and besides, it did take you a long time. What if you went the wrong way?"

" I doubt there were many wrong ways to begin with."

Syaoran fell silent, lost. " But that makes no sense."

" It makes perfect sense."

" But…didn't you say Sakura was attacked? Why did the wraiths attack her?"

" Perhaps to lure you out. Though at the time she was attacked you were diverted to your current sanctuary now." Yue seemed rueful. " Or perhaps, the wraiths made a mistake, precisely because Sakura is more powerful than you."

" That can't be right!" Syaoran's voice was getting louder, but he hardly noticed. " This doesn't make any sense! I mean, how come they didn't take me out of here already?"

" Perhaps we are already heading toward your sanctuary, if not there already. Or perhaps they merely could not take you out."

" How could they not take me out? That makes even less sense than—" But _nothing _could make less sense than—

" If they wanted to protect you badly enough, which as my presence here proves they do, they might be cautious about taking you away from your home."

Syaoran screamed. He was barely aware he _was _screaming, or sobbing, or that his cheeks were starting to grow damp. How could Yue not get it? He of all people should see how ridiculous such a notion is. " _I am not the Amadi child!"_

oO

" Syaoran-kun's mother is coming over." Sakura paused. " Using magic."

" She wants to portal over everyone _here?_" Kero blinked, looking at Aralyn, who did not react.

" Her _son _is the _Amadi child._" Eriol pointed out dryly. " That _must _imply more things to you, Kerberus."

Sakura swallowed. " Would we be able to see him again?" She asked softly.

They all turned to Aralyn, who was staring out the window like she was not listening.

" You might want to find the boy, so his family _could _see him." She pointed out without turning around.

" Can you help us find him?" Eriol asked.

" I will most definitely not do your work for you." Aralyn glared at him. " Get out of here."

" The streets are flooded." Kero protested.

" Since when did _that _stop a _sorceress?_" Aralyn frowned. She then disappeared.

" She is right." Eriol said after a pause. " We should probably go now."

" What if the wraiths attack again?" Kero asked.

" I doubt they would, considering yesterday. And even if they do, it appears Aralyn handed us a secret weapon." Eriol replied.

" Where are you kids going?" Fujitaka asked, recovering a little from his earlier shock.

" Looking for Syaoran-kun. I should probably dry the house first though…"

Drying the house with a few spells, Sakura grabbed her coat. Eriol grabbed the lasin board.

" We should probably try to get Tomoyo out of the apartment." Eriol pointed out.

Sakura headed to the window and opened it. " Oh…ick. Looks like the shields Eriol-kun and I placed kept the waters out of the house. It's about knee-high, and there's rubble floating down the…stream."

" Use Illusion and Fly." Eriol instructed. " We cannot risk exposure. We have to get to the garden—it should be drier than the other areas because it is higher. Come along, let's get Tomoyo first and bring her to Sonomi. I hope Tomoyo called her mother first."

" Tomoyo-chan is not _stupid._" Sakura glared while opening the window. She took off first.

Eriol followed. Kero looked at Touya and Fujitaka.

" I always knew you were more than a stuffed animal." Touya glared at Kero, as a means of parting.

Kero gave him a cheeky smile, and sailed through the window. Nakuru looked out and frowned.

" I don't want to ruin my uniform." Shrugging, she changed into Ruby Moon, and followed.

Touya and Fujitaka looked at each other.

" I don't think this is a good time to ask any questions." Touya pointed out the empty room. " They seemed pretty…well,"

Fujitaka glared. " Did you know about this?"

" Hey, don't look at me. Who knows how long the kaijuu was doing this." Touya cocked an eyebrow. " Sounds pretty dire to me, and pretty confusing. Why don't we clean things up first?"

" You know what really unnerves me?" Fujitaka stated as the two went to the stairs. " I'm not really surprised."

" Heh, join the club."

oO

" This is bad." Sakura studied the wreck below them. Tomoyo was gasping and Eriol looked grim.

The garden was completely ruined. Mud had covered everything and the rain had destroyed the plants. There was a slight mudslide where the garden dipped down to the lake. Rescue workers were digging for survivors on the outside of the garden that led to the rest of the town.

" Is Li-kun down there?" Tomoyo looked sick.

Eriol murmured the incantation. " According to the board, he is." He frowned even more.

The group stared despondently at the rubble below them.

" He should be alright. I doubt the board can sense the…the—dead." Sakura paused. " And isn't he with the Amadi?"

" We still have to find him, according to the Sorceress." Eriol replied.

" Where to start?"

They dove down. " Can you sense Yue?" Sakura asked Kero.

Kero, in his full form, shut his eyes and concentrated. " Iie." He shook his head. " But I do sense a powerful presence here. It seems like it is broadcasting or something."

" Broadcasting? What do you mean?" Spinel asked, also in his true form.

" It's coming out in waves." Kero lifted his giant paws and laid them on some invisible barrier. " I think Yue is in there."

Sakura knocked the barrier with her staff. They heard an audible _clang._

" Well," Sakura looked up and down. " I hope the Sword Card cuts through this."

It did not. In fact, Sakura ended up with a kinked sword.

" This sucks." Kero commented.

" Guys, look over there." Tomoyo whispered.

They looked. There were dark figures. They seemed to be floating, but their legs could be easily seen, moving, walking. They looked very beautiful, despite being shadows. They seemed like a vision in a fog.

" Are those the…?" Sakura asked, as they slowly disappeared. Eriol did not answer. They all already knew.

Just then Sakura's cell phone rang.

" Oni-chan?" She answered.

" Kaijuu, the gaki's family's here." Touya sounded a little uncomfortable. " Where are you guys?"

" We're at the garden. He's in some sort of barrier. We can't get through."

She listened as her brother related this to Syaoran's mother.

" Are you sure?" She heard Touya's voice get louder as he spoke into the phone again. " Alright…ano, kaijuu! Li-san says to use the…the _what?_ Lasin board? To cut into the barrier."

Sakura blinked. " The lasin board to cut the barrier? Can it do that?"

Eriol gave it a try. There was a definite tear, and the barrier opened to reveal a dark slit.

" Weird." Tomoyo commented. Eriol slid his fingers into the slit and tried to pry it open. " I'll have to cut it out more." He said, and began doing so.

He cut out an entire door, and peeked inside.

" Syaoran?" He called. " Li-san! Can you hear me?" He then slipped in.

" Hoe!" Sakura yelled, following him. Tomoyo hopped off Kero and joined her, and everyone else hesitated outside.

" Think we should go in?" Nakuru asked.

" Yue's probably in there." Kero growled. He darted inside. The other two guardians followed him.

oO

The ferret was trying to comfort Syaoran but because it was on his leg he did not acknowledge it. Syaoran had managed to stop crying before he could get very far, but now he seemed to have lost his voice. And the ability to do anything. He felt numb and cold, and he was not even that certain why. Maybe he was crazy? No. He was not crazy. This situation is crazy. Yue thinks he's an Amadi child. What kind of bogus is that? He is Li Syaoran, youngest son of the Li clan. Had been his entire life. Besides, it does not make sense, especially considering how weak magically he was.

He was going to pass out.

The ferret squealed in concern. Syaoran did not feel the ground hit in him the back of the head. He was already dreaming. There were shadows, looking for him, reaching for him, locating him. He shrunk back, terrified, watching warily at the shadows. They loomed ever closer—

_" We lost the child. We lost Yideña. Please, Sorceress, help us. The child is not safe outside the sanctuary."_

_" Your precious Yideña is not safe inside the sanctuary either." The Sorceress, dressed in green, replied. " Your numbers dwindle as we speak. Your own lives are at risk. This child is, in many ways, safer where he is than where you plan to bring himg."_

_" What if he becomes too close to the mortals?" the Amadi asked in unison._

" _What if he is harmed by them?" Asked one._

_" What if he loves one?"_

_" What if?" The Sorceress smiled. " That is destiny then. The child escaped from your grasp this time, something unprecedented._


	7. Chapter 7

Dance of the Amadi

Chapter 7

" _I do love the Asians. The Europeans gawk at the Last Unicorn because they think it brings up some original concept of immortality and love, when in fact the Asians have been ending their stories in various colorful ways for several thousand years, always with the same theme in mind."_

" _Which way do you think it will go?"_

Aralyn shrugged slightly. _" Either way, one of the parties will not be happy. Love, for mortals, is a strong connection to life. Their connection is feeble enough without it, especially for those whose destinies are preordained."_

_" But Yideca is not mortal."_

_" You folks are daft. If a mortal can become immortal, the reverse is also true."_

There was a long, uncomfortable pause.

_" If he becomes mortal,_", Aralyn continued, _" He might be spared the wrath of the Forbidden Wraiths, even. Being no longer a child of the Amadi, they will no longer be interested in him. There are so many things that do not go well for you people that I wonder why you would wish to bring him back to this nightmare of yours again. Unless, of course, you are more selfish than even I gave you credit for."_

The Amadi did not respond to this, and Aralyn did not wait for a response.

_" I shall not interfere much more now. Though, as of now you really have little to do." _She watched as Yue guarded the child. _" Making him mortal will require both time and revealing his location. You set up quite a barricade there. Plus, it is really up to him, and see which one has more of an effect on him­­­­­­—his natural Amadi instincts and desire to belong, or his family's love and his love for another mortal. That will require time. How long do you plan to keep that barricade up, by the way?"_

_" When the Forbidden Wraiths no longer impede his rescue."_

_" That will take Millennia! Besides, what puzzles me is why the Forbidden Wraiths did not just destroy the whole world and your precious child with it. Even if it is made mostly of water, which they hate. You are fortunate the child did not go mad yet. I know, that is why you sent Yue. Not an ideal choice, but if he could live with that,"_

The Amadi were still silent for a moment.

_" How does he fare?"_ One asked.

_" The boy? He just learned he was one of you. He is not very happy about it, though I am not certain he really knows why. What a case of the inferiority complex."_

_" What should we do?"_

_" You ask me? I am flattered. But I am afraid I must reject the offer to answer your ridiculously inane question. How should I know? You continue what you came here for. Let the future play itself out for once. You might get the child in the end."_

oO

The dreams were back.

If possible, they seemed ten times more vivid. He saw entire worlds collapse on itself, and the beings that lived within it cry out in desperation and fear. This time he recognized who did it though. Magnificent powerful beings, clad in brown.

It all made horrible sense.

Was there nothing beautiful? Even the beautiful ones end in disaster. He saw wonderful worlds, he recognized them from his childhood and had wondered at one point if Tomoeda had them. Lovely places, like the Elysian Fields, like Heaven, like Paradise. They were so calm and so tranquil, so serene. Why would the Amadi want to burn them?

How could he ever become one of them?

And then black shadows tugged at his dreams. They were even more malevolent than the Amadi, dark and all-consuming. They were targeting Sakura, and Syaoran was trapped, frozen and unable to move.

But then she got away…and Syaoran knew that she should not have gotten away. There was no way she could have gotten away so easily from the black shadows that were strong enough to destroy worlds just like the Amadi. They were more powerful than she was. Why did she get away?

And then his dreams reverted back to when he was a child, his father playing with his sisters, his father whose face he could not remember but sensed all the same. It was kind and warm and mortal. It bled away in a swirl of red as the images were replaced, the sad song of the Amadi as their numbers dwindled and the sad songs of the worlds as they sensed the loss. No, he did not want to be part of that! He was not part of this insanity. He was Li Syaoran, a human child, a human sorcerer, not this Yideña, this Yideña, what an odd name…

And then the black shadows coming for him and he knew he was going to die, but there were hands pulling him away from the shadow, fleeing for his life. And as he looked back he saw his mother and sisters reaching out for him, Sakura screaming and crying. She was wounded…she was bleeding from her side, and her face was pale as a ghost but she was still weeping and sobbing and begging him to stay—

Syaoran woke with a gasp and realized he was crying too. The ferret was nuzzling his chin and neck, whimpering, and Syaoran held on to the little animal as he recovered his breath. Yue was nowhere to be found.

_Fine._ Syaoran thought bitterly when he realized this. _He was lousy company anyway._ He heard his mother's voice ringing in the back of his memory to treat the guardian with respect, but he was not going to bother listening to it. For one, Yue was not here to see any disrespect.

He bent over and vomited. It was sudden, but that was fine because it seemed like he was in a void and there was nothing below him or above him or around him. The vomit merely disappeared.

Shaking, he lifted the ferret, afraid for a moment that some of the nasty stuff might have gotten on to the little animal, but the ferret only squealed and nosed him. There was nothing tainting its fur.

Holding it close, Syaoran looked around. There was nothing but endless black. He toyed with the idea of floating around for a while but it was half-hearted—he really was not in the mood. He wondered if Sakura was all right out there, and if his mother noticed he had not called Hong Kong yet, and if the weekend was already over and it was Monday and if the teacher realized he was absent. _Oh, I never printed out the stupid homework._ He realized, recalling that he never managed to bring home the toner. _Or was it the ink? It was the ink._ Feeling muddled, he willingly allowed himself to needlessly stress for a while. _Darn, I would be turning in that homework late. And the test is on Thursday and I missed a day at least. What was the test covering?_

But who was he kidding? There will be no more tests, if what Yue said was right. School and martial arts were the only things he did well in. Most would say that was a significant achievement, and his family had been proud of him. What would entering the life of an Amadi do? What changes would be made? What if he fit in even worse than he did in this society? _What if everyone was like Yue?_ Surely those beings must be all perfect and all powerful. They would have mastered sorcery like it was nothing. Heck, they might have even invented it, based on what he read. He was nothing like them! He was bad at magic. It took everything he had to get to the level he was now, and the Amadi are ten times more powerful than any Card Mistress or any judge of the Final Judgment. Sure, they were good at martial arts, they probably invented that too. Or maybe they had it first. Syaoran did not know. _God, what if everyone _was _like Yue?_ Syaoran swallowed with difficulty. _Yue is a prat. A stuck-up, obnoxious, full-of-himself prat. So was I, but at least I bent down a little once in a while. _Though Yue did bend down, literally, to carry Syaoran around. _Only for his convenience. That guardian has no heart except for his master._ One would think Clow Reed would have done a better job. Though with Kerberus as the other example…

_I am leaving everyone._ Syaoran realized, hugging the ferret closer to him. _I am leaving everything I know._ Either he would die, killed by the wraiths, or the Amadi would take him. He thought of his mother and her warm smile, his sisters and their teasing and how they always offered companionship even when they were annoyed with him. And Sakura, always ready to invite him to some event, opening the group up. There was always a space reserved for her Chinese friend. He remembered her expression of awkwardness whenever he and Touya or Kero got into an argument or glaring contest. _She could have taken her brother's side._ He lowered his head, _She could have taken her brother's side. She had no reason to support me. Especially after I treated her like scum before. Instead she cared enough for me to struggle whenever we fought, and settle with trying to mediate. _He vowed to stop getting into those with Touya and Kero, but then remembered he would never have a chance, perhaps, to make up for those.

He was cold. His qi felt all clogged up, but he was too distressed to get up and fix that. His eyes felt sore from crying and his cheeks felt clammy. _Wow, I am being such a crybaby today._

Nothing to be done now except to toughen up and face the facts. He wiped his cheeks and eyes and sighed. His nose was stuffed. _Ugh._

He sniffled, but he was calmer now. Either way he was going to leave Sakura and his family, and that level of certainty made him braver, in a way. _How the blazing hells did I end up being the Amadi child?_ No matter. Who knows, maybe things will work out for him. _As if I had ever been that lucky..._maybe if he had not been as nice as he was he might have won the Final Judgment…_I was not that nice, really. And she was destined. And Clow Reed did not see fit to tell us that _before_ I wasted time and effort going to Tomoeda?_ But he did not regret it, not really. He had been happy for Sakura. She deserved the cards.

Feeling distressed at his own ineptitude, and aware of the coming tests he might face, Syaoran rubbed his eyes to get rid of whatever tears were welling up again. _God, I am such a crybaby!_ Still shaken by his nightmares, and acknowledging the reality of them, he tried to find a way to locate Yue.

_Probably went off looking for an exit by himself._ Syaoran thought. _Or maybe he got out? Didn't he say he'd stop trying? Where the heck is that guy?_

There was nothing but darkness, even when Syaoran lifted his hand and held a glowing orb of light to show the way.

The ferret stretched its head out and nosed his wrist at the same time Syaoran realized he was holding an orb of light.

_Sure, Mr. Ineptitude,_ the ferret seemed to say as it looked at him with what could only be described as dry. _What do you call juggling elemental balls without so much as a battered eyelash._

He was always good at elements though. He had lousy cards for those but the elements always came to him more easily than the others. Though come to think of it, he did master a lot of the tricks in those books quite easily.

_They are just tricks though._ Syaoran's doubt voiced. _Hardly worthy of being called real magical achievements. You won't destroy worlds or make worlds by juggling elemental orbs. Or hovering a ball of light in your hand. _Even if, admittedly, he had never been able to do that before.

Clow Reed saw him but did not know what to make of him. Probably because Clow Reed saw him juggling elemental spheres and wondered if the boy he was seeing had been nuts. Or maybe Clow Reed saw him dressed up as Beauty and practice the scene with Sakura. _Hey, that would definitely make him do a double take. Boy from China dressed up as blonde girl trying to kiss his heir. What did Touya's face look like during the play? I can't remember…must be a sight to see._ Yue was still nowhere to be found. _Maybe you should call him, Genius._

" Yue?" Syaoran's voice was hoarse, weak, and shaky. " Yue? Are you there?"

_Maybe I should change bipolar disorder into schizophrenia._ Syaoran thought. What had he been expecting, after all? That Mr. Yue would suddenly answer to his calls when he was not within visible range?

_Mr. Yue?_ Syaoran blinked. _What the—Mr. Yue? _Somehow this brought up the image of Yue in a tuxedo. _Probably still bipolar disorder,_ Syaoran relented as he dissolved into bubbles of mirth. _Mr. Yue. What the brain does when it's completely out of it. Mr. Yue. Suitcase, laptop, cigar…darn it—that's just not right._

_Shoot._ What he would give for even Yue's lousy company. He stopped laughing.

Closing his eyes, he imagined he was in the living room of the mansion in Hong Kong. His sisters were watching Hong Kong dramas and he was complaining that they were stupid. They were making fun of the special effects and declaring how those could have been solved with spells, no problem.

_I want to go home._ Syaoran thought miserably. _Would I see them again?_

He opened his eyes as he thought of Sakura and that semester with the teddy bear. The many times he tried to tell her but could not. She was a good friend for putting up with him. _Sakura is either dense or just not interested._ Either way it did not matter now. He might never see her again.

oO

Sakura suppressed a yawn as she waded through the water. Her toes felt cold and numb and soggy in the wet socks and shoes. Eriol held up the lasin board with his other hand, clenching and unclenching his free fist to relieve the tension. They had separated a little while back to cover more area in the caves, with Nakuru holding a cellphone while Sakura held to another. So far it was doubtful if the devices could even pick up any signals, at the rate things were going.

" I don't see anything. I don't sense anything." Sakura shook her head. " Eriol-kun?"

Eriol took off his glasses and wiped them again. He squinted as he realized his lenses had been scratched from all that rubbing.

" Iie, I didn't get anything." He sighed. He felt exhausted. " Not anything definite, anyway. It flickers occasionally."

Sakura sighed. " There must be another way!" She was not sure whether she preferred the garden, or the wetness of whatever dark chamber they were in. The ground felt like it was covered with soil, and in fact the whole water looked muddy and brown.

His lenses fogging up again, Eriol took them off and wiped them again, making a mental note to get better lenses when he gets the chance.

Sakura stepped forward and slipped. With a loud splash she fell into the water.

" Sakura-san!" Eriol called, but the water suddenly began flowing very fast, nearly pulling his legs out from under him. Grabbing onto a tree trunk he steadied himself, before scanning the foaming waters for any sign of the Card Mistress.

" Sakura-san?" He called again.

Below the water Sakura saw a blurry image of a circular symbol. The water had removed the dirt that lay on top of it. She reached out and touched the center of the crest. It glowed, but the muddy water concealed most of its light. It swirled around her in the water and disappeared into the mud.

Then the water began running and it started dragging her down. She whipped out the Watery and concentrated.

Surfacing thanks to the new magical current, Sakura gasped for breath.

" Sakura?" Eriol called. " Sakura, daijoubu?"

" Hai, hai," She coughed. " Eriol-kun, over here!"

Eriol waded over. " Sakura, use the Watery to steady the current!"

" Hai!" Sakura nodded, still coughing. She held up the card.

Around them in the muddy water the shadows of the wraiths quietly edged closer, silent and still. They waited quietly as Eriol joined Sakura at the knee-deep water. Eriol knelt down grabbing onto Sakura's hand to steady himself. The lasin board glowed green.

" Sakura-san," He looked up. " Use the key. It might open up the lock."

" It's a lock?" Sakura blinked. " How can you tell?" She could not see anything from above the water's surface.

Eriol wiped at his glasses as water splashed onto them. " You're glowing."

" I'm what?"

" You're glowing. Did you touch the symbol?"

" Uh…hai…" Sakura blinked. " What…how come I don't see myself glowing?"

" I have no clue. No time," Eriol waved at her, " Take your key and insert it into the center of the symbol."

" You can see the symbol?" Sakura asked. She could not see anything.

Eriol looked at her, contemplating. " Sakura, go into the water again."

" Nani?" Sakura blinked. " Oh."

" Come on, I'll hold on to you." Eriol held out his hand. Sakura took it and she dove in.

This time she could no longer see any symbol. She surfaced.

" I don't see anything anymore!"

" Defense mechanism." Eriol replied. " There used to be more dirt over it, but anyone who steps over the area would not be able to see or sense it. Come on, take your key. I'll guide your hand."

" How do you know all that?" Sakura muttered as she took off her key and held it out over the water. Eriol took her wrist and guided her carefully over the symbol.

The key slid into the symbol and the water glowed bright green. Something opened up at the bottom of the water and the wraiths that had been waiting at the side suddenly plunged through the water into the opening.

Eriol cursed in English, jumping back and pulling Sakura with him.

" What was that?" Sakura cried.

" The Forbidden Wraiths!" Eriol cried. " Hurry!"

The water had started to swarm in, forming a vortex where the symbol once was. He jumped in first, and heard Sakura yell as she followed him.

Within the Amadi structure the maze immediately snapped into form, followed by a barrier a little way in. As the wraiths rushed through the barrier shimmered and immediately cast the commanded spell to force them into physical human forms. The walls became impenetrable and inflexible and winding, forcing the wraiths, who were not really that far from Syaoran, to take a long path in order to reach him.

The wraiths paused. They had human shapes, faceless and nameless, but with the legs and arms of people. They were clad in black robes, which dragged in the drafty wind to slow them down. Behind them, Sakura and Eriol rushed through the barrier, which did nothing to them, but when Sakura tried to fly over the wraiths the walls grew higher, like the Maze Card, forcing the two children to solve the puzzle as well.

Luckily for the two of them the wraiths moved ahead without bothering with them. With the Amadi Child so close they would not be distracted. Sakura and Eriol looked at each other, alarmed and afraid for Syaoran.

" What do we do?" Sakura whispered.

" Follow!" Eriol ran. Sakura ran after him. " Maybe they will open up a shortcut for us!"

" How?" Sakura asked. " Does the maze change?"

" It should be able to. If you can do it, so can they!" Eriol yelled back.

" Let me use the Maze Card!" Sakura caught up to him and whispered.

" The Maze over this one?" Eriol blinked. " That might work. I doubt it, but it might."

They stopped, allowing the wraiths to run ahead. Sakura summoned the staff and cast the Maze Card. The maze card sent out its magical aura and seemed to clash with the existing maze. It struggled for a moment, before resigning and returning to its confined card form.

Eriol sighed. " So much for that. Come on!" He ran ahead. Sakura caught the card and followed.

oO

Yue had no clue how he lost Syaoran. At one moment he was making the child realize that the boy himself was the Amadi child. The next minute, when he turned around, the child had disappeared. The room they had been in disappeared as well, which further puzzled him. That meant the boy did not run away, but he had not moved either.

_This place is very odd._

Deeply annoyed, especially since he had done this before with Sakura, Yue had decided to just stay where he was and wait for the boy to find him.

Suddenly he felt his surroundings change and warp in the most nauseating way. Yue's wings shot out in alarm and he flapped to get himself airborne. The darkness cleared into a maze. He was able to shoot above the walls and look down.

The wraiths were trapped within the rules of the maze, and so were the two figures following them.

_Eriol and Sakura._ He suddenly realized that he was supposed to find Syaoran now. He hesitated, unsure whether he should fly first to Sakura before heading to Syaoran, but realized that the wraiths were completely ignoring the two of them.

_The Li boy then._ He thought resignedly. The wraiths did not look up to him, but it was hard to tell because none of them had a face.

Diving down, he saw the white-clad child running away from the wraiths along the winding path. How the child knew which direction the wraiths were coming from, Yue had not the faintest idea, but he ignored that thought for now and dove toward the child.

Syaoran ran as fast as he could, following the ferret that scampered before him. When the maze returned the ferret had leaped out of his arms and shot toward the path like an arrow. Syaoran felt it necessary to follow. It was only after the first few seconds when he realized the ferret was leading him away from pursuers. He doubled his efforts.

Out of the sky a black shadow loomed over him. Syaoran, frightened, lifted one arm to cover his head and screamed. Yue's arms circled him and lifted him up. Syaoran looked up as Yue readjusted his hold.

" What's going on?" Syaoran cried.

" They found their way in, somehow." Yue answered.

" How come you can fly?" Syaoran demanded. " Is that Sakura down there?" The boy's heart clenched as he saw that the girl was well within proximity of the shadowed figures.

Yue looked down and struggled a little. " Hai."

" Go down and get her! Is that Hiriingaziwa?" Syaoran leaned over. " Get them quick!"

Yue hovered in the air, hesitating. He also wanted to get Sakura out of there. Even though he knew that the wraiths were not interested in her after all, he could not help but be nervous that once the boy was freed Sakura would suffer their wrath.

After a long internal debate, he finally relented.

" Hai." Yue moved Syaoran. The boy moved up to his back so Yue's arms were freed. The guardian then dove toward the two children behind the wraiths.

Below, the wraiths halted, following the direction of the guardian and waiting. The change was so sudden Sakura and Eriol nearly crashed into one of them. Hurrying back, Sakura and Eriol ducked behind one of the walls.

" What's going on?" Sakura asked. " Why did they stop?"

Eriol looked up and cursed. " Iie, Yue!"

But the guardian was already heading toward them. They could see Syaoran clinging to Yue's neck at his back. Reaching down, Yue dove and Sakura and Eriol hurriedly reached up to grab the guardian's hands.

Syaoran suddenly shot a blue orb at the wraiths, just as something shot toward Yue. The boy flipped his body over to block it from Yue, and screamed as he bent down, getting hit instead. There was a huge burst of blood and Syaoran lost his hold. His body fell limply off Yue's back, and the wraiths swarmed up like hungry beggars, catching his blood, trying to catch the white body.

" Syaoran-kun!" Sakura cried, grabbing the boy's wrist at the last moment. With a heave Yue soared into the sky, away from the maze, as the structures warped and changed to trap the wraiths within.

Sakura tightened her hold as Syaoran could not grip back. The boy's eyes closed and his face was bleached of all color. The child's head fell back as the boy lost consciousness.

oO

Kero circled in the air above the boy's head. Eriol furiously cleaned Syaoran's back. He was angry beyond words.

" Why the heck is he still bleeding?" Nakuru complained as she brought more water. " Kuso!"

Touya grabbed a towel and helped Eriol wipe away the blood that was still poring. " Gaki doesn't have hemophilia, does he?"

Eriol did not answer. " Did they come yet, Kinomoto-san?" He was not talking to Touya though.

" Iie." Fujitaka replied. " Isn't this supposed to be quick?"

" Faster than airplanes, definitely." Eriol replied. " Especially with the weather like this."

Now that the wraiths were contained in the maze, the weather had cleared up. Outside it was bright and sunny, and the water in the streets was starting to drain away.

" Come on!" Eriol begged, wiping at his glasses. He cursed when his lenses were smeared red. " Kinomoto-san," He turned to Touya, " Can I have a tissue or something."

" Here." Fujitaka dropped a packet next to Eriol. " I use that to clean my glasses."

" Arigatou." Eriol opened the packet and took out the wet towel.

There was a bright glow from the middle of the living room and five figures appeared. Li Yelan ran forward as soon as she materialized, not even bothering to catch her breath from such an endeavor, and rushed to her son's side.

" What happened?" She demanded. She then proved her power by extending her hand over Syaoran's wound and healing it easily, in contrast to Eriol's efforts. Taking her son's wrist, she felt his pulse.

" He lost a lot of blood." She realized. " What happened?" She demanded again.

Eriol leaned back, unwilling to tell her. The sisters gathered around their mother, who looked at Eriol, waiting.

" What is it?" Yelan blinked. She sensed something really wrong had happened. She had not expected her son to be completely well, and the question had not been accusing. Why were they all acting this way?

" It…" Sakura looked at Yukito uncomfortably. Yukito was not looking in their direction.

The girl sighed.

Yelan saw the look and wondered if Yue had something to do with this. " He should be fine now." She announced, a bit uncomfortably.

Everyone let out a breath they did not know they were holding.

" Ano…Li-san," Fujitaka started uncomfortably, " Would you…would you like some tea?"

Yelan looked at him. " Arigatou." She said. " I think we could all use some."

Eriol leaned back, watching as Yelan reached over and felt the white hood on her son's head. She said nothing, but Eriol knew what she was thinking.

_What a way to lose a child._ Eriol thought sympathetically. He looked over at the sisters. _What a way to lose a brother. What a way,_ He looked at Sakura, _to lose a good friend. _Because that is all they will ever be, Sakura and Syaoran, if fate has its way.

He shuddered. Syaoran could have died. The blow had been mere centimeters from his heart. He could not believe Yue had risked—

But then, it was Clow's error. Yue was loyal to a fault. He sighed, wondering if Yue would ever think for himself instead of just following orders or doing his duty. He knew that he would hurt the guardian deeply if he lost his temper with him, which was why Eriol made an effort to keep silent despite his rage. As far as Yue knew, he did the only thing he could do. The Card Mistress was his first priority. For all he knew, Sakura might have really been in danger.

_Aralyn,_ Eriol called out mentally, wondering if she would even answer. _Aralyn, what do we do now?_

To his surprise, the Sorceress answered him, in a voice that was much warmer than when she had been with them. _So Yue risked the child for his mistress._

Despite her warm tone, Eriol flinched at the words, feeling the brunt of it as if he had been the one to commit the crime.

_He is fine now._ Eriol felt the need to say. _His mother healed him._

There was a heavy pause, and Eriol grew uncomfortable. Did the connection break?

_Ah, Li Yelan._ The Sorceress's voice was strangely wistful. _She healed him did she?_

_Yes…_Eriol had a bad feeling about this. _Didn't she?_

There was another pause. _How does the boy look to you?_

Eriol turned to look at the child. " Hey, Hiriingaziwa-san," Touya was waving his hand over his eyes. " Daijoubu?"

" Hai, hold on," Eriol held up a hand, before studying Syaoran's features. _No…his pallor…is it the blood?_

Syaoran looked pale, and his hands were cold. There was something white coming out of his mouth. White foam…

" He's been poisoned…" Eriol realized. _Curse Yue and his unmoving—_

" Nani?" Sakura cried, hurrying to Syaoran, but Eriol was once again distracted by the Sorceress.

_Do not be too hard on the guardian._ Aralyn's voice was almost amused. _He feels bad too, you know. Why do you think he is hiding?_

Eriol did not glance over in Yukito's direction. _What do we do now?_

_Unfortunately for you, Yue's mistake has cost you time._ Aralyn replied. _You will have to give him up. Either way, you will lose him. The choice is whether it is to his Amadi family, or to Death. Neither of which is too awful, but I am certain you have already decided which._

Eriol was silent.

_It is farewell soon._ Aralyn finished. _You will have to tell the others. Including Li Yelan._

Eriol looked up at the Chinese sorceress, who bent over her son, trying to figure out what was wrong with him and solve it, like all mothers do.

_Where do we take him?_

_Yue knows._

Yue knows? Eriol sighed. Why did the Amadi put so much faith in Yue all of the sudden?

_Ask him what the new moon brings._

Eriol blinked. " Alright…"

" Nani?" Tomoyo blinked. " What is it?"

Eriol turned to Yukito. " We have to get Syaoran to the Amadi." He said.

Yelan looked at him in alarm.

" Now?" Sakura asked.

" As soon as possible." Eriol replied grimly.

" How?" Yelan asked. " Did they say…were they coming here?"

" Iie." Eriol shook his head. " I was talking to Aralyn earlier…she said Yue would know where to take him."

Yukito lifted his head. " How the blazes would—"

" She said to ask you want the new moon brings." Eriol cut him off.

Yukito looked at Syaoran, still very confused.

" It was the new moon when this all started." Sakura realized.

Eriol studied Yukito very closely and noticed the flicker he was looking for.

He then turned to his kawaii little descendant. The descendant, as it turns out, had not been his descendant after all. He wondered how it would be if Syaoran had just been a normal sorcerer, perhaps with more power than he had before, but still normal and human and destined for Sakura and will make her happy and her life whole. He wondered still, if Syaoran would have needed Sakura's open affection as much as he did. Perhaps he would have belonged more, and been more confident of himself.

There was no time for what ifs. Syaoran was dying. It was time to say goodbye.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Should I put up an epilogue? Tell me in your review. 

Dance of the Amadi

Chapter 8

Yue made no move to surface. Sakura sensed that he was weary, and did not pressure him. She was not in a hurry to let Syaoran go anyway.

It felt very odd. She never felt so old before, so heavy and dark like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. She had been worried about the world before, worried about her friends and her family and her town, but never had she felt burdened like this. Never had she felt so…crestfallen.

She found herself recalling the past couple of years. The first time Syaoran entered the classroom and his eyes directing at her. She remembered his insults and reproaches and they hurt back then, but she remembered her father once saying that it is not what a person says that counts, but what a person does.

And Syaoran was a kind person. He did not always act that way, but where it counts he never failed to live up to his good nature. Sakura would never have been Card Mistress had Syaoran not come to Tomoeda. She owed so much to him.

Being with Syaoran opened her mind to a lot of things. He was special. Sakura just never imagined that he was this special.

And now he was leaving.

" The longer we wait, the longer the wraiths have to break through the Amadi structure. You better wake Yue up soon." Eriol told Sakura. " He's probably afraid that we're mad at him."

Yue? Afraid? It sounded preposterous. Eriol sighed at her expression.  
" I know you feel sad." He told her quietly. " I feel sad too. And Li Yelan, she feels worse."

How terrible Syaoran's mother must feel. She was nothing like the confident woman Sakura met last summer. All of the sudden she looked ten years older and much more worn. She kept to Syaoran's side and looked at him as if drinking in the vision of her son. Sick or not, it might be the last she would ever see of him.

" It's not fair." Sakura felt tears welling up into her eyes. _Why am I crying? _She could not remember feeling the need to cry as much as she did, except for when Yukito had gently but firmly rejected her feelings for him. That time Syaoran had been there and had been her anchor, had allowed her to cry on his shoulder, had promised her that she would one day find someone who truly cared for her. He had listened to her, had known exactly what to say to make her feel better. The memory only served to deepen her sobs. " It's not fair. I barely got to…got to know him!"

What did she know of Li Syaoran? He was so introverted. Over the past two years it seemed that while she learned a lot about her Chinese friend, there was so much that she did not know, so much that would be far more important for times like these.

Li Yelan looked up when she realized the Card Mistress was crying. Sakura suddenly felt selfish. If she felt this bad, Yelan would feel ten times worse. Syaoran was, after all, her son for the last eleven years. She could not bring herself to apologize, though, feeling that if she tried to speak she would just burst into tears again. Not that her tears ever ceased, really. She looked down, not able to bear the gaze of the older sorceress. Tomoyo's arms circled her and she leaned back into her friend, taking the comfort in. Tomoyo understood what she was going through. Tomoyo often understood Sakura more than she did herself.

" Syaoran was usually plagued with nightmares." Yelan sighed. At this Yukito lifted his head, but no one paid attention to him. " From when he was young. He could not leave my side at night all the way until he was practically five, because of the nightmares. We used to think, how bad can a two-year-old conjure up in his mind? But when he was able to articulate everything we realized that perhaps there was some curse on him, or some outside force, because he kept dreaming of death and destruction and all things that terrify the human mind."

The house was silent. Outside they could hear men yelling and calling out, retrieving some rubble and helping to clear out the remaining water.

" We used to give him sleeping pills, or cast spells, or both, all the time. As he got older the dreams no longer plague him every night but they were still very frequent. We used to think that perhaps the dreams were what kept his magic from reaching its supposed potential." Yelan reached out and took her son's hand. " He was so irritable after a few years of that, so bitter. And during the daytime his magical weakness was prominent to him so there was no relief in daytime. I used to worry that he might be depressed. But how are we supposed to help?"  
" He mentioned that once," Yukito broke in softly, " That his dreams shaped his personality. He was out the other night because he said he could not sleep."  
" I should not have let him come to Tomoeda. I know what you all are thinking. I was an irresponsible mother, allowing my nine-year-old son to come out here all by himself and capture these cards when it was obvious he had no basic foundation for it. He knew all the techniques, had all the training. Just not the magic."  
" He was fine." Sakura broke in, " I mean, he was…he was really good."

Yelan smiled. " And I know you believe that. And I do too. What you don't realize, was how good he was. He exceeded all expectations, despite failing the Final Judgment. But you know, originally I wanted one of my daughters to do it instead."

The said daughters did not appear to hear. The oldest one had curled up on the sofa with Syaoran, while the others sat around the kitchen table staring into the porcelain cups.

" Why did you change your mind?" Kero asked.  
" Because about a month before the scheduled flight, I had a dream." Yelan replied. " I dreamed about Sakura. I dreamed about the two of them fighting against Clow Cards. I dreamed that Syaoran would eventually fall for her." At this Sakura blushed a little, eyes widening, " And I dreamed that Syaoran's eyes were filled with brighter spark of life every time he saw her. I saw the radio tower, and strangely enough I saw…"

She hesitated, and Eriol pushed a little, " What did you see?"

Yelan looked at the boy. " I saw Yue carrying my son, and they were flying. My son was asleep in his arms and he was flying toward a building." _But not only that. Xiao Lang was wearing exactly what he wore now. And there was more to the vision—Syaoran grew into a fine man, and he and Yue were sitting at the edge of the top of the radio tower in the city, just…talking. And Yue was hugging Syaoran and both were smiling and Syaoran held up Sakura's key. Only that time I thought it was Syaoran's somehow. I believed Yue was Syaoran's guardian. But…but now I understand. For whatever reason Yue was smiling and hugging my son, it was not because my son was his master. Syaoran had Sakura's key because she was dead and Syaoran was alive. And now I know it is perfectly possible because Syaoran is immortal and never my son to begin with…but he's mine! I carried him and I treasured him and I raised him and I loved him and I have the right to keep him until he is old enough to raise his own family…_

" He was never really that happy in this world." Yelan sighed. " Those nightmares of his were probably visions, visions of history or his destiny. He had the fewest nightmares in Japan but sometimes he calls me and tells me about them. Still, he was the happiest around you, Sakura. For that I thank you."

_Is that supposed to make me feel better?_ Sakura wondered, feeling a new wave of tears threatening to well from her eyes. _How is that going to make me feel better? Syaoran-kun is still leaving, and he might forget me and everyone here. I'd even take him and Oni-chan at odds if it means he could stay._

Seeing how Yelan's attempt at comfort failed to lift Sakura's spirits, Tomoyo bowed her head over Sakura and rubbed her friends arms. " Everything will turn out okay." The girl said. " Everything always works out for the best."

And the best is that Syaoran leaves and never comes back.

Sakura rubbed her eyes. No, she really was not in a hurry to wake Yue, but even she was beginning to sense that time was running out. She looked over at Yukito, who stared back steadily.

_It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair,_ the lines repeated over and over in her brain. Sakura shook her head. Syaoran was leaving, and she did not even have time to give him a moving-away gift. If she had a night or so she could have made him a teddy bear or something, just like he made her one…

" Yue," Her voice broke and she swallowed. " Yue-san,"

A glow of white answered her and when her vision cleared Sakura saw Yue sitting where Yukito had been. The guardian hesitated for a long moment, looking at her. Sakura swallowed and straightened, her eyes filled with new resolve. Syaoran needed to go, for his own good, and she was only hurting him by forcing him to stay here. She would have to put her feelings aside and do what was best for him.

He is a good friend.

_All he will ever be._

At her determination, Yue rose regally. The eldest daughter tightened her hold on her brother and began sobbing. Yue waited patiently. The house was filled with anxiety and anticipation, as Yelan slowly let go of her son's hands and slowly released Syaoran from his sister's hold.

Yelan pressed her lips to her youngest's cold forehead. Eriol and Sakura took out their keys, and Nakuru transformed into Ruby Moon.

Yue held out his arms. For a moment Yelan ignored him, pressing Syaoran's little body to her. He's still so small. So young…still a baby, really. She relished the feeling of still having her child with her, before reluctantly passing her son to the guardian. Yue took him gently and carefully enough, mindful of his wound. Eriol opened the door.

" We'll be back soon." He told Fujitaka and Touya, who just looked on grimly. Kero transformed into his larger form. Tomoyo climbed onto his back.

" Come along." Eriol urged quietly, before stepping out into the moist, damp air and the night sky.

oO

_Yideña, with seasons past and winters gone, and blood that spilled drunk by the ground…_

Syaoran blinked his eyes. He felt weak and there was pain all throughout his body. Someone was holding him, carrying him, and there was a cold wind that blew. White strands hit his face. Hair. It was…

" Yue…" Syaoran whispered.

_We plead thee heed our call, the call of thy brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons…_

" Child." Yue murmured. A gentle hand stroked over Syaoran's hair, both comforting and reassuring.

" Yue…" Syaoran whispered again, " What…what…"  
" Hush." Yue told him.

Even so, Syaoran turned his head to look down. He was flying in the air. It was nighttime. The sky was dark. It might be the clouds. A sharp pain stabbed from his back. Tears squeezed out of his eyes as he winced.

" Arigatou." Yue said quietly. " For saving me."

Syaoran barely heard him.

_Linked by blood we are, and linked by blood we will…_

Yue was saying something else, something about Clow Reed. His voice sounded far away though, like a dream. He heard a music, a song, sad voices singing, and a promise of a kind of love unknown to him before, a promise of belonging, a promise of safety.

" Before I thought you were a spoiled child, a pompous descendant of Clow Reed." Yue went on. He was speaking softly, so none of the others in the sky heard him. " You do not always show it, but Amadi or not, you have a good heart."

_Let not the new moon put fear in your eyes…_

There was a drum, many drums, in fact, it seemed the world was beating in rhythm. A strange longing filled Syaoran's heart. He wanted…he wanted to get somewhere…

" That's Syaoran's apartment! Are we heading there?" Sakura called from behind Yue.

Yue did not answer.

Syaoran looked up and saw his mother. She was wearing the traditional robes of the Li clan, and in the sky, sailing freely and weightlessly, Yelan looked divine, like a fairy or goddess. Syaoran turned his head and saw his other sisters. They all came.

They came to say goodbye.

_This is goodbye…_

Syaoran tightened his hold around Yue. He did not want to go. He did not want to leave all this behind. He would even take the nightmares. Where was Sakura? He thought he heard her voice.

With a great flap Sakura rose above the rest. She is an angel. Syaoran mentally sighed in contentment. No matter what she'd always be beautiful. The great Mistress of the Cards. Sakura Cards. Cherry blossoms. They do not last too long every year…

_The stars shine all the brighter, without the cold moon…_

There were stars in the sky. Which meant that in fact there was a new moon. Again? In what, three days? Two days? One day? Syaoran lost track of time already. His body hurt. He was so tired. At least Sakura was all right. What if this is a dream? He wished it was.

Yue's hold tightened. The guardian spotted the dark shadows on the roof where that night he and Syaoran had their conversation.

_" Something is coming. Do you suppose we should be wary? If not, there is little to keep me here."  
" I would think, that the cards would be enough to keep you here."  
" They are in safe hands. It was my purpose here anyway. When Hiriingaziwa came it felt as if he were a threat, but not that he's not…I want to stay. But I will not if I do not need to."_

Yue landed on the ground. He looked over to Yelan and wondered if he should hand the child over to her. It seemed fitting that she should be the one to hold the child last, as she was his mother. But Yelan made no move to take the boy. After waiting for a moment, Yue turned his attention to the Amadi.

Aralyn was not with them. It seemed that the Sorceress decided to leave the affair, but then, she was no longer needed. Yue looked upon them and allowed awe to wake within him. These were great beings, meek and normal though they seemed. They had human features and human faces, and were all clad in dull, coarse brown. But from their stances Yue could feel their power, and that strong magnificent pride. He suddenly felt honored to carry Syaoran, for Syaoran was a being like them, younger, more vulnerable, but as divine nonetheless. He tightened his hold protectively over the boy. He could afford to be protective of someone other than his master, for now. Syaoran was leaving.

One Amade stepped forward. Yue recognized her as the one that led him into the maze and to Syaoran. She held out her arms, and Yue paused. He did not want to relinquish his hold on the child. Not yet…not¾

" _Dima…_" Syaoran whispered, turning around. " _Dima?_"  
" _Yideña._" The Amadi answered.

Yue did not hand the boy over, but Syaoran reached out and _Dima_ took him into her arms, gently pulling him out of Yue's hold. The older deity kissed the child's forehead and pressed hers to him. They bonded this way for a moment, and Yue stepped back, deeply moved by this touching scene. A wind blew over them, carrying with it the telling signs of farewell.

_You could have known him._ Yue thought to himself, remembering Sakura's heartbroken words at the house. He, too, felt heartbroken in his own way. _You could have given him a chance. He was but a boy. A nine, ten-year-old boy, going on eleven. Perhaps in another reality he would not have been in such awe of you, so cowed that he would follow you for hours until his legs give out beneath him and he is forced to admit he could follow you no more. You could have been his confidant, reassured him in his feelings for Sakura instead of just giving him cold advice. He was Clow Reed's descendant, for all you knew. If you had given him a chance you would have realized that a part of Clow Reed lived on in him, as it did in the Kinomotos…there was so much you could have learned. You could have parted with an Amadi child with no regrets of your earlier actions. Most of all…_

_Most of all you would not feel like part of you died before it was even born._

The Amadi did not hurry to leave. As the woman turned around Syaoran's face was turned to them and he looked, half-lidded, at Yue, at his mother, at Sakura. He did not react, but his gaze was steady.

_No more nightmares._

The Amadi pressed their hands on the child's shoulders, some hugged him along with the woman. It was as if they were making sure he was real and alive. The magic in the air heightened to that of quiet joy. Their child was coming home.

One of the Amadi, a man, stepped forward and headed to the mortal group. He went past Yue, went past Yelan, and headed toward the eldest Li daughter. Raising his hand, he pressed it on her forehead vertically, curving his palm to cover part of the top of her head. The girl closed her eyes as her body glowed.

He then moved to the next daughter, and the next, until he reached the final one.

Syaoran's eyes had landed on Sakura for the last time and remained there, even when the woman turned around. He turned his head so that he was still able to look at her while the other Amadi watched.

Then the Amade moved to Sakura, and rested his hand on her head the same way. Sakura closed her eyes as well and her body glowed. Then the Amade let go, and Sakura looked up at him. Syaoran's eyes never left her.

Then the Amade stepped to Tomoyo, who was crying. He gently wiped her tears away before doing the same to her as he had done to all the other girls.

Finally, the Amade joined the others. _Dima _turned around again, and Syaoran kept his gaze on Sakura over her shoulder. The woman kissed Syaoran on the cheek, and Syaoran closed his eyes and turned his head away from the Japanese group. The Amadi faded as one, into the night, and soon the roof was empty save for the mortals.

" He's gone." Sakura whispered. She had not shed a tear throughout the entire time. Now it seemed she had no energy to. What was the point, after all?  
" He's gone." Eriol agreed.  
" What did that guy do to you all?" Kerberus asked.  
" He blessed us." Feimei replied.  
" How come he didn't bless you?" Nakuru asked Yelan.  
" Because I am old." Yelan smiled. " He knows that the greatest gift I could have now is the promise that my children will be well." Tears welled up in the woman's eyes as she looked upon her daughters. " Oh my god…I am so glad I still have four beautiful girls," And she burst into tears, running to her daughters and hugging them.

Sakura felt empty inside. " He did not even choose, really." She whispered. " Thought there was a choice involved. I think I was hoping he'd choose to stay."

Yue did not have the heart to explain to her that Syaoran had, at the last second, chosen to leave his arms and welcome that of _Dima's_. Sakura may or may not have noticed, but if she chooses not to acknowledge it, it might be better.

" Come on," Eriol urged quietly. " Let's go home, to Sakura's house. It's been a long day. A long weekend."

They slowly moved and the group took off.

In the night sky Yue recalled the conversation that allowed him to know where to meet the Amadi.

_" Just out of curiosity, do you think if Clow Reed had been alive¾"  
" He cannot be. No one is immortal."  
" Hai, I know. But if he is, do you think he'd be proud of me?"_

Yue edged closer to Eriol in the night air. " Eriol, I have a question."  
" Yes?" Eriol looked at him curiously.  
" Are you proud of him?"

Eriol gave him a watery smile, and was silent for a while.  
" Yeah," The reincarnation of Clow Reed replied, " But that would hardly matter now, would it? Least of all to him."


End file.
